Just Marry Me Already!
by XxRosieChibixX
Summary: Poppy knew it was true love, and she knew that he knew as well. So why are they even beating around the bush? Oh well, she'll just have to take matters into her own hands as usual.
1. Missing You

Welcome to my first story! Feel free to leave constructive criticism (i.e. "It fricking sucks" ;D ), but I've already planned out how the story will go and probably wont be taking suggestions (unless they're super good and wont cause me to rewrite much!)

* * *

Poppy knew it was true love, and she knew that he knew as well. So why are they even beating around the bush? Oh well, she'll just have to take matters into her own hands as usual.

* * *

"Queen Poppy! Queen Poppy!" A sunny yellow troll raced to her, "Too many trolls want to live on the lower south-west branch, but it can't hold all their weight. What can we do?"

"I'll be right there!" Poppy exclaimed brightly, "I'm sure I can convince some of them to move their pods to the branch below!"

"Queen Poppy! We really need a place for the children to learn and play !" Another troll snuck up on her, one of the schoolteachers.

"The classroom will be up and running soon, I already have some trolls working on it! For now, lets keep them by the tunnel's entrance where they'll be safe from construction!"

"But what if they try running around the tunnels? They could get lost easily?"

"Already covered, sir! All except the direct route got closed off with boulders yesterday, and the forest entrance is under watch so they can't run off there either!"

"Wonderful, my Queen! You've thought of everything!" The schoolteacher skipped off satisfied.

 _Actually, it was all Branch's idea_ , Poppy wanted to point out, but she momentarily became lost in a daydream at the mere thought of him.

"Queen Poppy, the housing issue!"

"Oh, sorry, lead the way!"

It only took a few minutes of pep talk to convince some of her citizens that the branch just below got the same amount of sunlight and thus was absolutely perfect for them to live in. With a little time to take a breather, Poppy took the opportunity to look around her as each and every troll enthusiastically labored to turn Troll Tree into a home again, all of them singing along to some sort of sing, at least several going all at once to make a jumbled hum fill the air that, in itself, was still rather harmonious. Construction was almost done, trolls were starting to relax more now that they were on the home stretch, and those that finished their own projects helped with others, making the process go even faster. Soon enough, everything would be complete and they could all celebrate with their first HUGE party since they begun relocating.

Poppy knew that as a Queen, she would become saddled with a wide range of responsibilities, but up until recently she never thought those responsibilities would involve relocating the entirety of troll kind to their old tree home, constructing the village from scratch, and making sure everything went as smoothly as possible.

There were many bumps in the road for sure in the past three months; negotiating a treaty with King Gristle, paving a safe route to and from the former village, constructing brand new homes or relocating the old ones from the village, organizing and spacing the homes for everyone's comfort; the list goes on!

She had her father and her friends, and _Branch_ , mostly to thank for taking some of the load off her. Her father helped with the negotiations as well as leading groups to the old village. Cooper actually seemed to be conveniently built to pull heavy wagons without much strain on himself, and thus joined her father most of the time. Satin and Chenille worked overtime on temporary tents to sleep on, hammocks for workers to rest in, and comforters and sheets for the new pods. Smidge did a ton of the heavy lifting, mainly for either relocating old pods or bringing building materials up high. Guy Diamond and Biggie teamed up with her on the village planning, leaving only the biggest issues up to her. DJ Suki's main role was motivation and energizing all the workers with song and the occasional dancing.

And _Branch_ , she sighed dreamily, she couldn't even begin to start. The troll everyone once thought too gray and too grumpy turned out to be one of the most remarkable and amazing trolls ever. All his years living in isolation in his bunker, as sad as it sounded to her, made him incredibly resourceful in ways she couldn't dream of. It wasn't enough that he saved everyone from being eaten; he continued to save and help everyone even after.

He founded to most direct and safest route between the two villages, making travel far easier than the winding, aimless journey her father Peppy took over twenty years ago. He taught everyone how to fend off certain predators and what signs to look for when danger was too close. He also made sure they all learned how to survive if they got separated from the group and lost in the forest, which eventually became essential when one troll actually did. He even went on the first few trips to make sure everything worked out right, and used all his old bergen traps to secure the former village after it became apparent some critters were slowly encroaching the area and making it a little harder for trolls to repossess their belongings.

Before construction could even begin, he insisted they planned everything down to the last twig, even if it took them a few weeks; where pathways and bridges would be built, how many inches of space between each house, how much weight can each branch hold, where residential and commercial zones, and even set out areas specifically for evacuation in case the tree ever caught fire or something other. He made sure the tunnels were reinforced so they couldn't collapse, blocked off the areas not directly connected to the forest or Troll Tree, and installed lighting on the main tunnel, as well as widening it for large cargo to ease through. By his convincing, everyone first dug out an artificial lake that connected to the Bergen's water supply; she was especially grateful for that, because building a village sure turned out to be exhausting and thirsty work!

When building began, it was again _Branch_ that made sure any construction occurred no closer than ten feet from any of the temporary tents below, and first from top to bottom; it turned out for the best when the occasional slip up sent a pod or some building materials falling down below. And everytime it happened, a quality control team had to check up the area for breakage or damage before anyone could get back to work. And if something major were to be damaged, it was immediately and safely removed, and Branch would go right back to the blueprint to work-around and redesign the area.

In short, Branch had been very, very helpful. _And practically king-like_ , Poppy thought with a smile and a blush.

So helpful, in fact, he only just begun making his own home less than a week ago, living off a tent long after the majority of the trolls already had accommodations up in the tree. She felt bad, but he insisted that he did so back when he first started on his bunker, so it wasn't anything new for him. He was a newer, brighter, and bluer Branch, but he lived twenty years in self-isolation in a bunker made by himself, and so decided to make his home farther away from the other trolls, at the base of the tree almost opposite the tunnel, in a small enclosure of gnarled roots and a cracked boulder. She hadn't had a moment's rest to visit or help him, and only knew about it when her eyes wandered away from work, searching first for coal-black hair amongst the crowd, before realizing she need instead spot deep azure, still a tad darker than most troll's hair anyway.

She wanted so badly to visit him, see him, _touch him_ , but they were both so very busy and rarely had time for more than the occasional nod and glance from a distance, or to talk formally about their projects. She looked forward to the moment the village was complete, not for the big celebration that would absolutely happen and she would need to make invitations for, but so she could finally see more of her father, her friends, her _Branch_.

After a long days work and many farewells, she would quickly shower and eat and head straight off to bed; she would happily fall asleep wondering what a relationship with _Branch_ would be like; dates and holding hands and kissing under the moonlit sky after singing a super sweet love duet. She had pretty much no experience in being in a relationship; even though she had been loved by all and most likely sent many hearts a flutter, she never had a boyfriend, keeping all suitors at a distance, preferring to remain friends only. Even Creek ( _the creep_ ), her first crush, the only one bold enough to persist even after she kept him at arms length.

She should think of something else before she lingers too much on a sad thought.

 _Branch_ , she dreamily drooled. Yeah, much better.

"Poppy?"

With a sudden jolt, Poppy blinked away from her daydream and back to reality. Biggie (and Mr. Dinkles) and DJ Suki were in front of her with worried faces. And looking around she could see a sea of eyes just as equally concerned.

"Um, oh."

"Poppy, you've been standing there for fifteen minutes, we've been trying to snap you out of it," Suki explained.

"Sorry guys, I was just lost in thought. Everything's okay!" She called out to the other trolls. Like a spell had been broken, the citizens ventured off to her homes, ready to rest for the day.

"Must've been quite the thought," Satin and Chenile popped up from seemingly nowhere, snickering.

"Umm..."

"You got a little..." Biggie gestured to the corner of her mouth.

"Oh!" She realized she had been drooling! She wiped it off quickly, face a darker pink.

"Everything alright?" And now the rest of the gang turned up suddenly; Guy Diamond, Smidge, Fuzzbert, even Cooper who likely just got back from traveling. She found it strangely convenient, yet thanked fate for magically bringing the Snack Pack together.

"Take a guess." Guy Diamond sanged with a smirk.

Her friends all looked at one another and all together replied: "Branch."

Poppy' face got even darker, "W-what are y-you talking about!"

"No need to hide it, girl, no one's living under a rock here." Satin replied.

 _Except Branch_ , Poppy thought happily.

"There's that face again! She's totally thinking of him!" Chenille and Satin giggled.

"Okay, okay, you're right." Poppy plopped down, suddenly drained. Her friends followed suit, forming a circle, except for Biggie, who was too large, and so sat down just behind Poppy.

"I can't help it, okay! Everything's been so busy I rarely get to see him, or any of you, so I'm kinda glad you're all here now, so don't get me wrong I really, really want your company right now, but I also...UGH!" Poppy leaned backwards, accidentally falling onto Biggie. He simply handed over Mr Dinkles for comfort, which Poppy gratefully accepted, petting the worm.

"You need a break," DJ Suki started, the others nodding in agreement, "You've been working so hard, and doing a fantastic job by the way! You deserve a little vacation, and I'm sure the workers will understand."

"And you're dad's here now!" Cooper helpfully interjected.

"That's right! You can tell him the situation, I'm sure he'll be okay taking the reigns back for little while," Suki smiled, "He'll want whats best for you."

"I don't know...could I?" She questioned, glancing over them.

"You're the boss."

"Thanks guys, and I think what I need really is a little more fun. How about a sleepover?" She paused and thought for a moment, "I mean, if you guys want, and aren't busy?"

"We've actually been communication with one another, we're all taking a break, too." They smiled "We've just been waiting for the perfect moment to strike."

"So you're all actually ambushing me," Poppy giggled, "starting a coup against your queen!"

"You know it!" Her friends laughed, and without any provocation from their charms, began embracing one another, showering their love. After almost eternity, Poppy felt relaxed and free again. She has the best friend!

Apparently their sleepover was happening now. She was almost tempted to tell them that she should really rest first, and then ask her father to take over before they do anything. She was just too happy, and more energized, so instead she gratefully accepted a delicious sprinkled cupcake and braided Smidge's hair, all while good friends caught up, sang, hugged, and danced around her pod.

After a few hours of good old fashioned fun, though, they eventually circled around again, listening as Poppy ranted off, as she's tend to do once in a while after too much hot chocolate.

"I mean I just don't understand," She was pacing around them in a fret, Mr. Dinkles in one arm and her empty fifth cup on the other hand. "We went on a remarkable once-in-a-lifetime quest, saved all of trollkind and made friends with the Bergens; at my lowest moment, when I lost all hope and turned grey with grief, he lifted my spirits up and brought back mine, and everyone's color. He saved me from spiders!" She turned to her friends, hands up in frustration. " _We sang our confessions_!"

"Girl, what were you two doing up in that flower?"

"We hugged!" Poppy cried defeatedly, letting go of Mr. Dinkles. She finally made up her mind to settle in Chenille's lap and let the twins play with her hair. "I should've went for a _kiss_! But I chickened out and we _hugged_."

"I gave you the perfect opportunity and you waste it on a HUG!?" Smidge threw her bow far across the room, then begrudgingly went to retrieve it.

"It was still a big deal for him, 'cause he's Branch," Poppy sighed, drawing circles on the rim of her empty cup. "I didn't want to ruin anything, or make him uncomfortable or feel cornered. I thought I had all the time in the world."

"Don't you worry, we're almost done building and you'll have plenty more free time to hook up."

"BUT I WAITED TOO LONG!" Poppy sprang up, nearly colliding with Chenille's chin had the twin not ducked fast enough. "What if he thinks there's nothing between us? What if he got tired of waiting? What if there's another troll now and...ERRRGGHH!" Poppy started pulling her hair when suddenly she got hit by a pillow.

After ten minutes of playfull pillow fighting (and a sudden hugging session), the Snack Pack lied down on the floor, heaving but feeling happier.

"Thanks guys, I needed that."

"There's nothing to worry, Poppy, the way you two look at each other is like no one else," Biggie endearingly, "It's like...super good friends or something."

"No," Poppy interjected, "It's like...true love."

Silence lingered for a bit. Poppy looked around and noticed they were waiting for her to continue on.

"...I never felt this way before...not even with Creek..."

It became even more quiet, and she wondered if maybe she shouldn't have just said that name, but Guy Diamond thankfully broke the silence.

"Do you think you maybe you've always have?"

Now everyone was looking at Guy Diamond wide eyes, even Poppy.

"You always made his invitations more special, more made with...love."

"You know," Satin started, "He always crushed them, and said the meanest things towards you, and wanted you to go away, and you just...kept going back." She looked to her sister to continue on.

"We thought you just kept persisting 'cause you wanted everyone to be happy. But maybe...you went the extra mile for him because of something else?"

"He kept the invitations," Copper spoke up; it seemed her friends were taking turns to shock everyone tonight. "Some trolls were gossiping 'bout it in the trail. Apparently they found them while hiding in the bunker."

"I heard of that!" Smidge yelled. "There was poetry too!"

"I thought that was a mean rumor!" Suki gasped. "They all mentioned 'laughter brighter than the sunlight, pink hues of the most fragrant of roses, and stuff like that."

Fuzzbert started murmuring and Poppy was grateful she couldn't understand else she might've had a heart attack.

"And remember the things he said back at Bridget's date? There's no way he just thought that up on the spot!"

"He totally likes you back! For who knows how long!"

"That's it." Poppy threw her pillow at the ceiling and got up. Her pod popped open at her command. She jumped out onto her pathway. It was late, the path now lit up with the dim, warm glow of hanging lanterns.

"What're you doing?" Though Suki had sort of an idea what might be going on.

"Finally going to ask out your boyfriend?" Guy Diamond teased.

"No." Poppy surprised them with such a firm, serious reply. She turned around to look at each and every one of them in the eyes, and spoke with absolute certainty:

"I'm going to ask him to marry me."

With that, Poppy turned completely around again and marched off along the pathway, leaving her friends with gaping mouths.

* * *

Chapter 2 will be Branch's POV, and he's in for a big surprise!


	2. Take My Hand

Chapter 2 is a little early 'cause some people really seem to enjoy this (omg thanks everyone! 3 3 3 ), but it might not be perfect even after several times reviewing, and the first draft of chapter 3 is almost done and still needs more editing. Enjoy this for now! 3

* * *

After finally managing to smooth out the floor and cover it in felt carpet, Branch decided it was a good moment to take a short break. He stretched out sore muscles and cracked his knuckles, looking over his handwork with a satisfied grin.

He finished out the hard part, and in record time, too! His new home consisted of one large, rounded room that would serve as his main living quarters, much like a troll's pod, but additionally he dug out a separate room for bathing, and another for storage. Eventually, he planned to cover his bathing room's floor in smooth pebbles that would keep the ground from getting muddy, while letting excess liquid soak in the ground underneath. His new storage room was about half the size of his main room, and would serve to store his food along with his many other random belongings. He planned to install shelving in the main room for his books, a chest to hide the more personal items (like poetry), and scatter some furniture here and there, to make everything more homely and welcoming. Most of his belongings that he managed to bring with him currently sat beside his cot, a heaping pile that would need to be sorted out eventually. Against the wall was a handmade rounded wood door and two sets of circular windows that he would soon install properly, though for now the cloth covering the doorway worked out okay.

It was much like his bunker, in a way, but at the same time different. The bunker had been for practical uses, it was barely a home, serving the very basics for a lone troll; he planned to make this place a lot warmer and comfortable, a real home, one he hasn't had in a long time. There was still a lot of work to do; he's been too busy helping Poppy and the others that he got a pretty late start in building, and despite many a troll offering to assist him, he chose to make his home by himself, to make it exactly how he envisioned it.

All in all, choosing to live at the base of the tree turned out to be ideal; no competition meant he could build in the perfect spot, to which he did. The small bit of roots sticking out worked sort of as a roof for protection, and he could later decorate them in greenery to make it more appealing. His entryway was smushed against a boulder double his size, which served as reinforcement. It was also far away enough from the tunnel so he couldn't be disturbed by foot traffic, and close enough to the makeshift lake so he could collect water. The place was coming along, but there was still plenty he needed to do.

He went over to his food pile to dig into a jar of pickled wild onions and beetroots. Lucky for him, most of his food did not appeal to his surprise "guests" from three months ago, so the majority of it survived the villager's hungry mouths; food probably still wont be an issue for at least another two years. They ran his honey supply dry, though, and he fully intends to travel back to the old village frequently enough to collect more from the wild bees.

After his meal he headed towards the troll-made lake for a quick drink. He passed by a troop of young trolls laughing and dancing around their teacher, clearly just finishing an evening picnic by the lake. They waved at him with glee on their pudgy faces, and he couldn't help but smile and wave back.

It still felt a bit weird, how much he changed so quickly, and how much more willing other trolls were to approach him. He remembered back in the old village how families warn their children of him, and how he once terrified a group of them.

* * *

 _The little brats practically strolled right in front of him as he collected more oak twigs. Their shivering gave away the brave face they pulled as they stared him down._

 _"What do you want?" He didn't even bother with pleasantries._

 _"Why are you so grey?" A little purple girl troll asked him trembling, "you're hair is so dark!"_

 _"It's such a cool color." A smaller boy shyly hid behind an older one, they looked like brothers._

 _He had no time for obnoxious children, as they tend to be needy, never pay mind to their surroundings, and brought attention to themselves; they would be easy prey if a Bergen happens to stroll by. Plus, they shouldn't even be anywhere near this part of the forest without supervision!_

 _"I'm grey because I'm a mean troll, who hates children, fun, and singing!" That made two of the children gasp and cower. The younger one, however, seemed unaffected._

 _"And if you don't leave my forest, I'll snatch you up and make you grey too!" For effect he snarled and acted like he was ready to lunge at them._

 _That got them terrified enough to high tail back to the village. He did feel a pang of guilt at first, he was only making sure they stayed away from the dangerous forest, but barely out of earshot he could hear them:_

 _"What a mean nasty troll! Auntie Snail was right!"_

 _"I hope we never see him again! I bet he eats bugs for dinner."_

 _The children giggled and went their merry way, likely to gloat about how they faced off the grumpy gray troll of the forest. The younger brother did turn around and waved goodbye, at least._

* * *

But that's all in the past, Branch sadly smiled. Now that he was back to his true colors, he felt happier, and trolls were less wary of him. Many even thought he was okay with hugging now, though he always had to push them back and ask them to keep that at minimum. Quite a few would come up to him, telling him they never expected him to have such a fantastic voice, or could dance so well. And, of course, children were more approachable. He remembered meeting the two boys again last month.

* * *

 _"I'm sorry I scared you back there in the forest, that was very rude of me," He was bent down to his knees at the two now slightly older boys - he learned they were named Ginger and Fence - who he happened to crossed paths with while carrying a basket of berries for some workers._

 _"That's okay, Mr. Branch! It was scary fun anyway!" The older of the two laughed it off._

 _The younger one still clutched shyly behind his brother, but nodded in agreement._

 _They bid goodbye after he gave them each the juiciest berry in his basket, and was just about to go head off to the tunnel to feed the miners when he was stopped once more._

 _"That was very sweet of you Branch!" A sweet voice rang out right behind him._

 _Branch groaned. Of course Queen Poppy would be here to witness that._

 _Ignoring is beating, fluttering heart, he turned around to give her a bored glare. She stood there, arms behind her back, with a bright smile plastered on her face, completely unaffected by his stare._

 _"You know I was apologizing for scaring them in the first place."_

 _She giggled into her hand, coming closer to face him, sunshine radiating off her lovely face_

 _"And knowing you, it was probably because they got too close to the big, dangerous forest, hmm?"_

 _He refused to acknowledge that question, instead picking up his basket and excusing himself, "Sorry, no time to chat, the miners are probably starving right now, and I'm sure your busy, too."_

 _But Poppy suddenly clutched his arm, preventing him from leaving any further. "Wait, Branch, I need to ask you something!"_

 _He refused to turn around, else she would see his blush and tease him some more._

 _"I-I mean..." She let go of his arm. Feeling his face return to normal, he turned around to witness the queen acting strangely. She wouldn't meet his gaze, one hand busy fiddling with her bracelet, a small nervous smile on her face._

 _"Poppy?" He was starting to get worried now, this was nothing like her._

 _When a troll called out to Poppy for assistance, she sighed and looked up at him again. "Never mind, I'll ask you some other time."_

 _She seemed to made up her mind about something, and quickly reached out to give him a quick peck on the cheek before he could react. They were both blushing heavily now._

 _"Well, um, s-see you again eventually!"_

 _"Y-yeah, eventually."_

 _They stood there for a second, until the troll started calling out for Poppy more urgently. With a small smile she hurried off to her duties. Branch stayed frozen a little longer, to savor the moment just a bit more._

* * *

And of course, every thought goes back around to Poppy, he chuckled under his breath.

He sat by the edge of the lake, lost in thought, drinking in the tranquil scenery, the faint melody of happy working trolls above his head. He was so, so content with just staying there. No more hiding in fear, holding back his true self, or gathering supplies for his bunker. He began to hum softly, lowly, as the sky darkened and the crickets filled the air with their own brand of music.

The thought of Poppy made his stomach flutter. She really changed him so much. Or rather, she helped him reveal his true feelings and let go of the grief in his heart. Many called him a hero after the events, for saving her and them when they turned grey. But really it was her to saved him from himself.

Being grey was...so awful. He's been such for so long he hadn't even realized it was such a bad feeling. Pretty much every troll had agreed they rather had been eaten than stay grey for long, much less twenty years. Many couldn't even imagine how he managed. Now that he had color again, he couldn't either.

But then again, none of them probably had a little crush on the pretty pink princess for ages to keep them afloat. Even as a baby she brightened everyone's day, and after a few years down the line his small and hidden appreciation for the princess became something else entirely. And it only deepened into a full on crush as soon as she was old enough to walk, talk, and hand out invitations.

He sighed happily. Having colors also suddenly made distant memories so fond to think of, and it became sort of a relaxing past time for him now. He's even fell asleep a couple of times by this lake, free of worry or fear, even living in an enclosed tree surrounded by Bergen town. It was a state for which he cherished and hope to stay in for a very long time.

By the time he headed back towards his humble abode, even the crickets had stopped chirping. Another perk living at the base of the tree would be that he didn't have to climb up to his home, on narrow stairways in pitch darkness. How did he forget safety rails? He'll need to bring it up with Poppy later.

Staring at the cloth hung at the doorway, he scolded himself for staying too long at the lake and forgetting to install the new door. Wiping his feet on his "GO AWAY" mat, he could see the faint flicker of light just on the edges of the cloth. He didn't remember leaving a lantern or candle on after he finished the floor. Cautiously, he peeked into his home through a little slit.

Nothing seemed out of place at least, only the sound of his own heart thudding slightly faster. So much for being free of any fear, he thought a fraction of a second before he jumped at a noise coming from inside, one he then realized belonged to a certain someone.

He wasn't expecting Poppy to be sitting on the edge of his cot, staring at her feet, humming something unfamiliar, long after the queen should've been slumbering in her own luxurious bed.

"Poppy?" Her head lifted up to look at him, her eyes seemed to permeate his in a way he couldn't remember them doing, and he began to worry when he realized her face was nearly blank, her usual positive demeanor just barely seeping out from her attempt at a poker face. What is she doing here at this time? He wondered.

When he slowly stepped forward to approach her, she sprung up off the cot and met him halfway. They stood facing each other, her staring silently without a word but clearly needing to say something, trying hard to contain her obvious nervousness.

Branch was beginning to worry that maybe it was not a good idea to be so near her this late, but as soon as he opened his mouth to speak up there was another mouth crashing into his and arms wrapping around him like a snake ready to squeeze it's prey, and all he could see were lights dancing in the back of his brain as the most incredible feeling begin to burst from his chest and he could not even think straight. After a minute of shock, he hesitantly embraced her as well and went with it.

It was so passionate and hungry, and it was their real first kiss on the lips. They were already a tangled mess of limbs as their hands roamed to fondle each other's hair, and their tongues wrestled as they moaned and made other strange noises he never imagined would come out of them. Neither were very experienced, so it was also awkward and clumsy with their teeth sometimes clashing onto each other, but neither cared at that very moment. And he should really stay focus and make sure they didn't go too far but he's still in shock at what was happening!

Somehow they managed to land on the cot without even trying, or maybe she actually intended to, but either way they were still going at it and he made sure to use his strength to force them to sit up instead to help control the situation just a little more. Only when her mouth began to roam on the sensitive nape of his neck and one hand began to stray just a little too far down his backside did he snap back to reality and pushed her a few inches away. They were breathing hot and heavy after such a long make out session, and Branch couldn't help but grin like a complete idiot, because dammit he really enjoyed it, and it was even better that she instigated it, as surprising as it had been.

"Wow! Just when I thought I had you figured out, you pull something like this, huh?" He chuckled, looking to her eyes dreamily and he stroked her hair. She nodded, her eyes were half-lidded and she looked up to him just as lovingly before fluttering them close and reaching for yet another kiss. This one was much more tender and less passionate, but enjoyable all the same. She hummed into it and clutched the front of his vest to ensure he wouldn't pull away from this one as well, which he had no intention of doing.

After another few minutes of lip-locking the couple parted just barely, mouths softly grazing each other as their hot breaths fused between the small were now simply petting each other, their backs, their face, their hair, Poppy even traced a finger around the collar bone, circling the area. He began to sing, knowing it would please her.

" **Wise men say, only fools rush in** ," he began, eyes closed " **But I can't help falling in love with you.** "

" **Like a river flows,** " she accidentally missed a few verses, making him chuckle some more, " **surely to the sea,** "

" **Darling so it goes,** " they whispered in harmony, " **some things are meant to be,** "

" **Take my hand, take my whole life too,** " she strangely seemed way into that particular verse, going a whole octave higher and louder, clutching his right hand tightly while stroking the ring finger.

" **For I can't help falling in love with you.** " They finished together foreheads touching, embracing one another. Three months of busy and frantic work with hardly a moment together really must've put her over the edge or something, and Branch couldn't be more content with the now. He feels nothing could ever ruin this night between them.

"Will you marry me?"

His eyes snap open and stared at Poppy incredibly.

"What?"

"Will you marry me?" She repeated.

He can't read her face; she must've finally gotten the poker face right. Was this a joke? 'Cause it was actually a bit funny, but again in her velvety, sweet voice she whispered;

"Branch, will you please be my king and marry me?" And he can't ever remember seeing someone so sure of a sentence that just came out of their mouth and _oh my god this was happening right now_!

He promptly fainted.

* * *

"Take My Hand" by Elvis Presley


	3. Rude

Sorry it took a bit, I ended up not liking the flow of the previous draft, so I had to rewrite to make it better. Most of the original draft is here, just that the puzzle pieces had to be pieced differently. It might mean my other drafts have to be rewritten for the stuff taken out, though, meaning possibly more delay? Well see. Enough drabble, onward to storytelling!

* * *

Poppy woke up bright and early to the faint chime of Bergson Town's clock tower, a second before the startled crows would cry out and leapt into the barely dawn sky. With a yawn and a stretch, she hopped off her downy bed, prepared for a new day, even with barely any actual sleep. She had at least one more hour to kill before her task coordinators would swarm her with duties, questions, and concerns, time she usually spent on a quick breakfast, greeting her dad and friends, a song or two, and as many hugs as she could squeeze in.

After tucking Branch in his bed, and pondering whether or not to simply stay overnight, she crawled all the way back to her pod to find a barely legible note from her friends;

 _To Poppy, let's meet up later! Tell us EVERYTHING!_ Underneath the writing were crude chibi faces of her friends.

She felt terrible ditching her own sleepover after they went through the trouble to make it happen. She'll have to make it up to them, for sure, and the sooner the better!

Opting out of breakfast for the moment, she danced her way over to her father's own pod, close enough to hers so that she could always come visit him, often for hugs and advice, but far enough away so that she didn't feel supervised. He was likely awake by now, despite his long trip the day before, waiting for her to come greet him. On her way, she noticed the strong winds rustling the branches of the tree, making them shed leaves like confetti. It was so pretty, and gave her a really great idea!

Sure enough, as soon as she knocked on his garishly pink pod, one petal flapped open and immediately she was off the branch and in her father's bulky arms, twirled around like a child. "Dad! Good morning!" She squealed.

"Poppy dearest! How I missed you, it's been weeks! Have you brushed your teeth yet?"

"You saw me three days ago, dad, I watched you head off," she rolled her eyes and giggled. Same ol' kooky dad!

"Well it felt like ages! Us old folks, time ticks at a snail's pace, and then some!" The former king chuckled, setting down his daughter. "I hope things have been favorable for you, child. I'm sure it's been tough work, starting the village over again."

"It's been great, thanks to you and everyone else!" She beamed, "Nothing major happened lately, but even if anything did I can get through it!"

"Of course you can! You've got a bit of your old man, after all!" He laughed heartily.

"Actually, dad," She had almost forgotten to ask him for a favor. "I've actually been wondering if you could take the reigns back for a bit."

"Hmmm? Fed up ruling already? Well, you've certainly didn't get that from me!"

"Nothing like that!" She defended, "It's just that I've haven't seen my friends too much lately, and I have other things I wanted to do." She mentioned as casually as she could." We're almost done building, so it feels like a good time to catch a break. So would you mind?" She peered at him with pleading eyes, hoping he's take the bait. He let out another loud laugh and embraced the pink troll. He did that a lot, now that hug time was all the time.

"Alright, alright! But first, you need to tell me what these 'other things' are!" He smirked down at her. Poppy cursed under her breath. Nosy fathers!

"I'll tell you soon, dad, cross my heart!" _Please don't ask just yet! I want my answer from Branch first._

"And I'll keep you to that! Now run along now, I'll take care of everything for, say, two days? "

"You're the best, dad, I love you!" She initiated the hug this time, making sure to squeeze as hard as she could.

"Love you too, Popps! If them trolls bug you about work, tell em' Peppy is back behind the wheel! And I take my coffee extra sharp! Or was it strong?"

Bidding her father goodbye, Poppy excitedly danced her way to the bottom of the tree, greeting and hugging every other morning riser as she came by. With her royal duties taken care of, she had her heart set on one thing, or rather one troll.

Once she reached Branch's humble little abode, she walked straight in without so much as a knock; it wasn't like there a door in place anyway. She was disappointed to see that Branch was still in the exact same place she left him: asleep, in bed, and not ready to to answer her. She debated whether to wake him or not, before finally settling next to him.

Retrieving her scrapbook supplies from her hair, she set on making invitations for her friends this afternoon. After that and still no awake Branch, she figured she could get a head start on the "Finished Building! Let's Party Hard!" cards as well. Then after that, she played around with her hair while singing a song. After almost two hours, she finally got fed up waiting.

"Branch?" She poked his cheek. "Branch, wake up! Braaaanch!" Poke, poke, poke.

He slowly came to, instinctively swatting her finger away. Once he was half awake, Branch realized it was morning now. It must be a rather windy day, as the cloth on his doorway flapped gently and he could hear the sway of the tree's branches. He absently thought about which sections of the tree were still under construction, as those areas would likely not be stable enough to brace the winds just yet. He hoped nothing gets damage, else he would have to go back to the drawing board and then construction would be delayed a couple more days. At least the trolls could take a break and get a party or two out of their systems.

Poppy was continuously poking his cheek while he was thinking. _How annoying_ , he thought as he yawned. _She should be out there, making sure everything's okay, not bugging me here! I hasn't even done my morning stretches, and yet here she is-_

He paused for a moment, eyes slowly widening.

Poppy was in his bed, in the morning.

...She asked him to marry her last night.

 _Oh my god._

 _OH MY GOD._

"POPPY!"

Satisfied that he was finally awake, Poppy ceased her poking and gave the blue troll a warm smile. Looking at Branch's pretty eyes, she realized he didn't seem so happy himself. _But that's okay, I expect that of him anyway_! She giggled and surprised him some more by kissing his nose.

"Morning Branch!" She practically singed without care. He couldn't believe her!

"Good morning, but Poppy do you understand what is going on?"

"Of course, silly! I'm here, with you, and-"

"And not in your pod! Who knows what time it is right now, but someone out there for sure is frantically searching for the missing QUEEN-"

"Don't worry, my dads' got me covered! I'm free for the next two days!" She gave him a peace sign and a wide grin.

"EITHER WAY, you shouldn't be sleeping in other people's beds, especially when they're not..." He blanched over whatever he was thinking that moment. Poppy found that she really liked that weird face. She liked everything he did, honestly!

"Do you remember what you asked me last night?"

"Duh!" She rolled her eyes, "I also remember you still haven't answered either!"

He just looked at her as if she was insane.

"Which is pretty rude, by the way. I was really looking forward to another make out session after you said yes."

His mouth was open now, like he was either silently screaming or miming how to eat a cupcake whole.

"Or maybe further than that." She suggestively tickled his knee.

"Okay, STOP THAT!" Branch's face was turning a nice dark blue now. He immediately snatched both her hands to make sure they stayed where he could see them.

"I'm kidding!" She laughed at him, hugging his arm. Her Branch was so much easier to tease than the old, grey one.

"Well stop it!" She just continued to laugh, and it was so infectious he was almost tempted to join in, especially given the bizarre situation they were in. But he knew now was not the time for that when he still has no door, and just about anyone could come in any moment. He struggled to get her off him so he could hop out of bed. Taking the hint, she let go of his arm finally.

"So, where's breakfast?" She asked. It amazed him how she so easily changes the subject.

"At your place, by yourself, made by you." He snatched her hand once more and dragged her outside, or tried to at least. Poppy decided to be dead weight, plopping straight into the ground.

"Very mature."

"C'mon, Branch!" She whined, "I don't wanna walk all the way up there just for breakfast! It's so much work" This was coming out of the queen of troll's mouth.

"Gee, it sure does sound so, so very hard. But I think you'll manage."

"Braaaaaanch!" She insisted.

"I have pickled roots, or pickled onions. Your choice."

"Nevermind, let's go to my place!" She suddenly sprung up from the ground. "I'll make us some strawberry jam sugar-sprinkled pastries!"

"No."

"Then some berry cinnamon pancakes! Trust me, you'll love it!"

"No."

"You can't say 'no' to everything, Grumpy!" She giggled, giving him a half hug that he reluctantly accepted.

"I can, and I will, so believe me when I say that the answer to your question last night," He looked straight at her eyes, which glistened with joy and cheer, "Is no."

Poppy immediately lost her smile.

"What! Why?"

"Poppy, we haven't even gone on one date."

"So?"

"So? We can't just jump straight to marriage just because we love each other!"

"But it's different, because it's true love! It's meant to be!" She was becoming frustrated; how does he not see this?

"And how would you know that!"

"Hello? We rescued our friends and everyone else? You saved me from spiders AND grief"

"That's not a foundation of love!"

"It is if you write poetry about me and kept every single card I gave you! And," She looked down, blushing, "If I begun to realized you may have meant equally as much to me as well all this time."

Branch didn't even know where to begin, this confession completely floored him. Was she saying she might've had a crush on him as well? And also, HOW did she find out about those things? It must've been the nosy trolls he left in his bunker! But seriously, SHE had a crush on HIM!? What about Creek?

"Are you...saying...you liked me back? Back then?"

"Maybe! I don't know, okay? I'm confused about it myself!" This entire conversation was becoming harder and harder. _Just say yes already_! "I mean, come on Branch, I declined every boy who asked me out, and, I dunno know, why else would I constantly try to invite you to a party with some over-the-top card, when I knew, deep down, you'd crush all my hard work?"

"Maybe because you secretly liked my pain and suffering." He muttered, and immediately felt guilty for it when she came to the verge of tears. "Sorry, that was a terrible thing to say. I am sorry, about the past. I really was a mean, nasty troll." He stroked her hair to comfort and calm her down. She shook her head.

"No, you were a lonely troll, afraid to let anyone in because it would hurt to lose them." She wrapped her arms around him and rested her head on his shoulders. For a few minutes they stayed like that, rocking back and forth, comforting each other.

When they finally let go they stared into each other's eyes affectionately for a moment more. Then she asked, "So, will you marry me, Branch?"

His beautiful smile grew wider, his cute premature wrinkles framing his face. He brought her hand to his lips to kiss it, in a way that made her envision him as a dashing prince charming. Staring back into her eyes, straight into her soul, he softly replied: "No, we'll date first and take things slowly."

He let go of her hand and moved away from her. He grabbed a door that had been leaning on the wall, picked up his screwdriver, and proceeded to attach the door to the already installed hinges. Not even glancing at her.

She simply stood there where he left her, trying so hard to process the fact that even after a heartfelt, tender confession, he still rejected her!

As he tried to align the door correctly she squeezed herself between him and his project. "So we'll go on one date and then you'll marry me?"

"Nope, more than that." He was glad to see he measured the height properly.

"Two dates?"

"Try harder." However, he realized he forgot to add a peephole.

"...Three?"

"When I feel like enough time has passed, then we'll maybe talk about it." He only had a simple latch and bolt, but it would do the job well enough for now.

"And how long will that take?"

"Who knows, a few years?" He held the screwdriver firmly as she desperately tried to pry it from him. He in turn gently shoved her away.

"YEARS?" She couldn't even handle three months!

"Seems like a healthy enough amount of time," He tested the latch once more, deciding a bit of oil would be enough to stop the shrill squeaking. "Trust me, between the dating, your friends, and your duties as a ruler, it'll go by really fast."

"Branch, look at me!"

He turned to face her fury; she had puffed up her cheeks and took a stance that reminded him of a petulant child not getting her way. He was rather impressed with her glare.

"I, your queen, command you," She point at him sharply, "to marry me right now!"

As he approached her, she faltered; he was far too amused, how dare he!

She held her ground, refusing to budge. Unfortunately, he was a lot stronger, as he simply had to pick her up by her armpits to carry her directly outside.

"Since you're free today, I'll pick you up at your place around dusk." He kissed her nose, and slammed the door.

"...Branch?"

There was no reply, so she tried knocking.

"Branchie, Let me in?"

Nothing.

"I'll keep asking until you say yes! You'll see, you haven't heard the last of me!" She screamed at his doorway.

Still nothing.

" **Why'd you gotta be so ruuuude** ," she sang, " **dontcha know I'm a person, toooo!**

She pressed her face against the new door to make sure she was heard loudly and clearly. " **Why'd you gotta be so ruuuude, I'M GONNA MARRY YOU ANYWAY**!"

* * *

See y'all soon! Will be working on the next few chapters during my thanksgiving break ;D

"Rude" by Magic!


	4. Shut Up

Sorry for the wait! Better late than never! It was a great chapter to do, too! And it's the longest one yet, so hopefully it'll appease everyone til. My next days off are Monday and Tuesday, so I'm really aiming to get more done in the next few chapters.

By the way, I've used line breakers to keep past events distinct from the rest, but now I'm using it to also help the scenes flow a little better. Just FYI to those who notice.

Anyways, enjoy!

* * *

The Snack Pack and Bridget gasped.

"Oh my gawd Poppy, talk about a drama-bomb!" Bridget half singed, before offering another refill to Poppy's tea cup.

"Thanks Bridget, and that's not even the worst part, guys!" Poppy took her seventeenth gulp of her Bergen friend's vanilla chai tea. "He wants to wait years, YEARS, before he'll even think about it!"

The Snack Pack gave each other a look.

"Well, honestly, Poppy-" DJ Suki spoke up, but was interrupted.

"And then he shut his door in my face and wouldn't open up! Can you believe that! I just, I can't , UGH!" The steaming Poppy held up her cup to Bridget.

"Woah, girlfriend, I'm cutting you off now." Bridget refused with a wag of her finger, setting down the eye dropper she'd been using. Poppy gave a frustrated sigh, but quickly moved on to stuffing herself with grape jam sandwiches.

"Slow down Poppy, eating half your weight isn't going to solve anything!" Suki shifted the bergen-sized plate away from Poppy.

"Is that it? Really?" Guy Diamond raised an eyebrow, concerned.

"Oh no, it can't be over! Not when they just barely started!" Biggie began to cry in despair, and stuff his face as well, forcing Suki to shift the plate again.

"Well, we're going on a date tonight, actually," Poppy began, feeling much better as the cogs in her head began to turn.

"Oh thank goodness!" Relieved, Biggie began hugging his pet worm, Mr. Dinkles.

"So I'll be able to ask him again!" Poppy joyfully sprang up with confidence. "We'll have such a great time that he'll have to change his mind!"

The Snack gave each other yet another look.

"Intervention." They agreed.

Poppy blinked in confusion. "What? Guys?"

"Poppy," Suki started, holding both of the pink troll's hands in hers. "We love you, and we've always supported you no matter what ideas came out of your head. Heck, when you told us last night you were going to ask the guy to marry you, we were shocked at first, but really excited for you. So, please, believe us when I say: I think Branch is right." Suki looked to the rest of the group for support, and received it.

"What! Are you guys serious!?" Poppy couldn't believe what she was hearing!

"Listen Poppy, don't you think this situation might be a little too, you know, familiar? Think about it."

"Hmmm." Poppy thought hard about it, unsure what Suki meant exactly. She was absolutely sure she never asked any other boy to date, much less marry, her. _So how is this situation familiar to them?_ She wondered. And then it clicked. _Ohhhh!_

"You mean how I always used to give him those party invitations?" The Snack Pack nodded.

"That you always worked so hard on."

"And he always crushed or ripped them."

"And yet you always felt positive that he'll accept the next one."

"But he always never did."

" _Always_." They finished together.

"So what were saying, Poppy," Suki started again, grabbing her shoulders this time, "Is that you couldn't even convince him to go to a single, little party,"

"He almost went camping with us that one time!" Poppy rebutted.

"And now you're trying to convince the _exact same guy_ to just straight up marry you, when you guys just barely got to the kissing stage _last night_! To be honest, Popps, I'm not entirely surprised he said 'No,'"

Poppy was beginning to really dislike that one word.

"So in your best interest, I think you should go along with it, take it slow, and not repeat the same mistake."

She looked at each of their faces. She knew they were right. It was delusional of her to even think she could get her stubborn grump of a boyfriend to say yes and marry her.

But she also knew it was true love the moment he confessed. And admittedly, she can be just as stubborn.

"I understand where you guys are coming from," Poppy faced them with determination, "but even if he tells me 'no' a thousand more times, I can't possibly give up! Because what if he really does change his mind? I could never live with the thought that I missed my one chance!"

The Snack Pack still continued to seem uncertain at her, so she looked up at her bergen friend. "And Bridget, King Gristle just started falling in love with you the same day, and now here you are three months later as his fiancé, and you don't feel like you're rushing, right?"

"Of course not! It's a dream come true! And he's even more excited than I am!" Bridget squealed, daydreaming about that fateful date, and Gristle's proposal.

"Because you two were meant be! You both knew there was no reason to wait when you're _destined_ for one another." Poppy was elated for her friend, and couldn't wait to join her as well.

Poppy looked back at the Snack Pack, who were somewhat convinced a bit more.

She took a deep breath and sang, " **And if he knock, knocks me over** ,"

" **You will get back up again**!" The Snack Pack joined in, smiling. They should've known better than to talk Poppy out of it. She never falters, always looking at the bright side. For now, they'll just have to be there for her.

The Snack Pack and Bridget began a group hug, for reassurance.

"Okay, Poppy, you win. I'm still not completely sure you can make him change his tune, but we'll have your back through and through!" Suki spoke.

"Thanks guys, that's all I really need!" With that, the group broke up the hug fest, and Poppy didn't wait a second longer to set her plan in motion.

"So I don't know what kind of date we're going on just yet, but I'll need the perfect dress! One that's going to make his jaw drop! Satin, Chenille, can you whip up something elegant and ladylike, but comfortable in case I need to walk?" The twins nodded.

"Even better-"

"We'll get the details on your date-"

"From Branch-"

"And make you two-"

"Matching outfits!" The twins finished in sync.

"Awesome, you guys are the best!"

"We know it!" The twins high fived each other.

As the Snack Pack and Bridget began talking amongst themselves, Biggie tapped Poppy on he shoulder.

"Hey Poppy, do you mind following me over there?" He whispered, pointing directly away from the others. Curious, Poppy followed behind the larger blue troll.

"What's up, Biggie?"

"Well, I know you have this big important date going on tonight," Biggie shuffled his feet nervously. "But I was wondering if maybe...well, I don't know if I should ask!" He looked away, rubbing his arm. Poppy has never seem him so shy before! Now she really needed to know!

"Come on, tell me! I won't bite!"

"Okay, okay!" Biggie took a deep breath. "Canwemakeitadoubledate?" He asked very quickly. It took her a second to process the question.

"Did you say _double date!?_ " Poppy gasped, nearly shrieking in excitement. "Oh my gosh Biggie!-"

"Shhh! Keep it low!" Biggie shushed her.

"Sorry," Poppy whispered. "But oh my gosh, Biggie, spill the beans _now!_ "

"Alright, listen. Yesterday, I was taking some pictures for the trolls moving in-"

* * *

 _"Smile!" Biggie clicked the camera button at just the right moment._

 _After the flash, the troll family relaxed and started moving again. "Thank you, Biggie! This is going in the center of my Pod!" The couple's two children were already running around, playing._

 _"Glad to be of service, sir and madam!" He knew it could be the perfect picture they needed, capturing the family smack in the center of their three pods, just as the clouds had moved away from the sun and brightened the leaves. He just needs to go back to his pod to develop the photo properly and frame it._

 _But first, this was actually a really great spot._

 _"You know what Mr. Dinkles, I think it's time for a photo op." He picked up his pet worm, who had been chilling on his head the whole time. Setting the worm down on a nice looking twig, he prepared his camera for yet another perfect shot._

 _In just a minute, the sun's rays began to tilt in just the right way, creating a lovely glow on the bright green leaves. "Say cheese Mr. Dinkles!"_

 _But the pet worm's head wasn't facing the camera as he usually does, but somewhere off to the right. "Mr. Dinkles, focus and smile!"_

 _It was too late though, the sun's rays moved too far back now, leaving the worm in the shade. The leaves rustled from a strong gust of wind, shifting them, ruining the natural frame they made just a moment ago._

 _"Darn, wasted opportunity!" Biggie grunted. He put away his camera and went to pick up his worm, who was still distracted. "What are you even looking at, Mr. Dinkles?" He turned to face the direction Mr. Dinkles was staring at._

 _And faced another troll's pet worm, lavender tinted, wearing just the cutest little bonnet he's ever seen. Her beady little eyes sparkled in a glittery rainbow. And the worm's owner flashed him a smile as well._

 _"Oh, Baby." Mr. Dinkles spoke._

* * *

"So now Nectar and I - that's Miss Jellybean's owner - agreed to meet up tonight so our worm's could get to know one another. I'm sure Mr. Dinkles is a tad nervous, so having you around could give him confidence." Biggie teared up, hugging his precious pet. "Mr. Dinkle's first date, I'm so happy!" He cooed at the little worm, who remained unaffected by the smothering.

"Wow, that's so wonderful!" Poppy had heart on her eyes, but snapped back to reality.

"Wait, so you and Nectar will be tagging along as well, right?" She smirked teasingly. _That's a triple date, mister!_

"Oh yes, well don't worry about us! We'll be busy making sure Mr. Dinkles and Miss Jellybean have a perfect date; you won't even notice we're there!" He spoke offhandedly.

Biggie smiled down and winked at her. "Although if you guys need any pictures taken to commemorate..."

"Of course! Thanks Biggie!" Poppy laughed. "So, how do they look like?" She knew he had to have taken a photo of that moment.

"Oh, here!" Biggie slipped a picture out of his pocket. In it, Biggie held Mr. Dinkles right next to a cute lavender worm, a big grin on his face, his other arm going out of shot. A light peach colored troll with pale orange hair and bright red glasses held Miss Jellybean. The female troll was the only one not staring at the camera, instead side-eyeing at Biggie, with rosy cheeks and a smile sweeter than, well, nectar. Poppy couldn't help but aww, _it's just so obvious!_

"They both look so adorable! I can't wait to meet them!" She squealed. "Branch said to be ready for the date by dusk, so you and Nectar should meet me at my pod just before then!"

"Great, I better get ready now! Mr. Dinkles has to look his best, first date and all!"

"And what about you? Won't you be getting dressed?" Poppy winked at him.

"Hmm? Should I? I'll be busy taking photos, I probably won't be in them." He pondered.

"Oh, I'm very sure you should!" Poppy couldn't help but giggle at Biggie's obliviousness.

With that, they rejoined their friends, who had politely stayed out of earshot when the two broke off from the group. Smidge was halfway into a story, while Bridget had to return to the castle, taking the remnants of her picnic with her. The Snack Pack spent another hour together before breaking off, promising to meet up again tomorrow. Satin and Chenille decided to head off to their pod, Cooper tagging along, to collect their fabrics before they faced off Branch. Poppy skipped her up the tree to check on her father, and then prepare for her big night.

* * *

Branch, meanwhile, had went on an errand to Bergen town, delivered some more berries to the busy miners, and spent some of his afternoon shuffling furniture, shelves, and various storage trunks around his progressing home. He has a lot of stuff, from all his years stocking up the bunker, and even after reducing the keepsake pile to a quarter of the original amount, it was still a ton of items. Despite Poppy's protests, he kept a majority of his traps and weapons, just in case. They could still be handy against small pests, after all.

While sorting out his enormous collection of books, he heard knocking on his door. He could tell two separate hands were knocking simultaneously. It didn't take a genius to guess whom.

"Come in Satin, Chenille!" The twins welcomed themselves in, a bit surprised. "How'd you know?" He merely had to point at his sensitive ears to remind them. "Ah."

"What brings you two, and Cooper?" Branch smiled as he noticed the giraffe-like troll enter a moment later. He didn't know the twins well, he always felt they were too snobby, but he surprisingly got along with Cooper in the few exchanges they've had, despite having little in common.

"Greetings, Branch!" Cooper saluted the troll, nearly wobbling as he juggled a mountain of fabric on three legs.

"Hey bud! If you need a hand we can set those on the tab - HEY WHAT THE?!" Two sets of arms forcibly dragged Branch backwards under a bright lamp he was pretty sure he didn't own.

"What're you two-" "Shut up and stand still!" He came face-to-face with a long roll of measuring tape. The twin straightened his posture and stretched his arms out before going to work.

"Hmm..." Satin measured the length of his arm, then wrapped her tape around his forearm. "Ooo, nice!" She commented, happily testing his firm muscles, built from years of rough living. She took out a notepad to scribble some notes.

"Very nice!" Chenille agreed as she measured Branch's waist, getting a nice view of his chest area as well. She whistled in approval.

"Is there any reason you two are getting in my _personal space?_ " He growled, blushing furiously.

"Your date tonight-"

"Which you'll need a new outfit for-"

"'Cause sugar, _this_ ," Satin gestured to his shorts, eyebrow raised and looking quite offended "It doesn't work, even casually."

"By the way," Chenille interjected, when it came apparent Branch was close to boiling mad, "Where exactly are you taking Poppy dearest?"

"And I should tell you, why?"

"Oh please, sugar," Satin waved him off, "We're not here to get the details and run off, we're just making sure you and Poppy have the appropriate attire for the occasion."

"Attire?" Branch had never thought much about what he wore, at least not beyond whether or not it camouflaged well back in the forest. _Maybe it would be good to dress up this one time. They still could've at least asked!_

"Well? We're waiting! Is it a late night walk around the lake?"

"A serenade under the moonlit sky?" Chenille sighed dreamily.

"Dinner for two at a fancy Bergen restaurant?"

"A waltz-"

"Okay stop!" They were making him self conscious about his choice. "It's...that place King Gristle and Bridget went. I got the owner to stay open late for us."

"Pizza and roller skating! Got it!" The twins snapped their fingers. "Cooper, powder blue cotton, steel grey tweed, and salmon pink felt!" Satin yelled over the other troll, who had just finished settling the materials down the table.

"Uhhhh?" The troll looked over the rainbow pile of different fabrics.

"Nevermind!" Satin rolled her eyes, "We got this." The twins jumped into the pile, scattering fabrics here and there on Branch's floor.

Cooper made his way towards Branch, letting the fashionistas to their work.

"So," Branch started, crossing his arms in a sort of embrace, "I take it Poppy told everyone?" He left it vague to gauge a reaction.

"The proposal? Yeah, it was pretty crazy!" Cooper nervously laughed. "We've known her for so long, and it threw us into a loop!"

"Yeah, she's full of... _surprises_." Branch chuckled.

"We kind of agree with you, actually." Branch hadn't expected that; to him, the Snack Pack were always as enthusiastic as their ring leader. Sometimes unbearably so.

"Huh."

"Yep."

"Here!" Branch's vision was suddenly obstructed by several pieces of fabric smacking him in the face. _That was quick_.

"You're welcome, now put it on so we can make adjustments!" The twins rushed him into his storage room, the only one that currently had a door.

"I have feet you kno-" The door slammed shut loudly.

"Hurry up or we'll dress you ourselves!"

"Okay, sheesh!" Branch grumbled, quickly removing his leafy vest.

Two minutes later, he exited the room to face three sets of eyes eagerly taking in the complete look. A little too close for comfort. "I'm sure it's much easier to see if you just move back a few yards." They took the hint and stepped back a much more appropriate distance.

It wasn't too far a stretch from his usual outfit; the closed vest was a striped light pink, with light blue short sleeves and a collar sewed on. It came with grey shorts slightly longer than his old ones, and a matching grey tie also sewed into the vest.

The twins nodded in approval. They circled around like predators eyeing a meal.

"He cleans up pretty well."

"Sis, you're a genius! Salmon is _so_ his color."

"Back at 'cha, Chenille. I didn't think _gray_ would actually work out. I'm glad you brought it along." Branch didn't know if he should be offended by that comment.

"Now that's taken care of, we can get to work on Poppy dearest as well!" Satin and Chenille glanced over his homely abode. "But feel free to request some advice on home decor sometime in the future."

"Yeah, I'm good on that." Branch looked once over the outfit. As much as the twins got on his nerves, Satin especially, he had to admit they knew their stuff.

"Thanks you two, this is...pretty good." He gave a genuine smile. He did appreciate the work they did.

Both girls smiled even wider, butterflies in their stomachs. It was the first time Branch ever said something nice directly at them. _No wonder Poppy is hopelessly in love_. They thought in unison.

"Group hug!" Cooper shouted, seconds before the ding of his hug charm went off.

Branch was starting to get comfortable, embracing other trolls. Especially his friends.

 _Go figure, I actually have friends now._

In an old, beat up box, amongst the pile of random objects, a long forgotten charm chimed, for once not ignored by it's possessor.

* * *

Dusk was approaching, and Poppy couldn't help but pace back and forth, fretting over the details of her new outfit.

The skirt was adorably poofy, a powder blue with grey flowers sewn along the bottom. She had a striped baby pink button up shirt tucked into the skirt, and a gray ascot scarf around her neck. A hair bow of all three colors completed the look. The entire outfit was already finished before the twins had even knocked on her door.

 _My first date, I dreamed of this moment almost every night._ She mused nervously. _But there's more at stake now. I gotta keep my eye on the prize; this is just a stepping stone._

Her breath hitched at the sound of knocking. She yanked the door open excitedly. There he was, a vision himself. They stood there for a moment, blushing furiously, taking in the handiwork of each other's outfits.

"Hey, um, Poppy. Hi." Branch was finding it hard to put words in his mouth.

"Hi." She giddily replied, feeling much like a little girl talking to her crush.

"So, um," Branch fidgeted, a paper in hand. "This is yours, for later, to read. I felt like sharing, with you I mean." He held it out to Poppy. She gratefully accepted the card, putting it aside for now.

She faced her date, hands clasped. "Well, this is it!

"Y-yeah." He was stuttering now, _good grief_.

"We're ready too!" Biggie popped out from behind Poppy, with some other troll.

Branch jumped, he hadn't even noticed them! "Wait what?" He blinked in confusion.

"Oh, sorry, I didn't tell you!" Poppy laughed charmingly. "I invited Biggie and, this is Nectar, by the way. Their worms are in love."

Biggie busily adjusted Mr. Dinkles bow tie, wearing a matching one as well. The female troll put a whole lot more effort in her own outfit, with curled hair and a lacy dress, and her own worm wearing the most over-the-top frilly hat he's ever seen. Biggie's companion was doing her very best to look like a blushing doll.

"So, a triple date?" Branch turned to Poppy.

"Do you mind?"

The old him wouldn't even dream of openly dating the pink haired troll. The new him, however, simply shrugged, in too good a mood to think of something negative. "Sure, okay."

"Ooooh, hold on a moment, let me get a picture!" Biggie stopped nit picking at his worm long enough to position his tripod at the two. "Ive already gotten some of Mr. Dinkles and Miss Jellybean, so its your turn!" He gave the two a thumbs up. "Hold still and smile! Branch, put your arm around Poppy!"

They obliged with Biggie's instructions. I took a minute for Biggie to snap the photo, as he waited for them to stop shifting.

"Us, too, Biggie!" The other female troll giggled, grabbing the larger troll's arm. "They can take the photo for us!" She batted her eyelashes at him.

"Oh, sure, I guess." Biggie shrugged. He instructed them how to use the tripod. The end result wasn't as spectacular, but it sure made Biggie's "date" elated.

* * *

They were seated by the window sill, in the only table currently available in troll size. It was small, even for them, leaving the four trolls and two worms to squeeze in elbows.

None of them had tried pizza before in their lives, and they were surprise to find it very enjoyable, considering it was a savory meal. The happier Bergens have been improving their recipes, now that they actually had a taste for something other than bland, depressing meals.

The group talked about everything from work on the Troll Tree, to upcoming plans and parties, and more. Biggie's date spent most of the time complimenting Biggie and laughing cutely, while Biggie himself concerned himself over making sure the worms were doing okay. Both worm really just stood there, staring at each other unresponsively. Biggie, however, seemed to completely understand that they were enjoying themselves.

An upbeat song echoed around the room. Branch wordlessly offered his hand to Poppy, which she gracefully accepted. They jumped onto the roller rink, and began tying in their skates, another gift from the twins for tonight. Together, they started gliding along the circle, grateful they don't have to watch out for giant feet. The happier Bergens had started coming to this particular place in droves, popularized by the king and his fiancé. Coming in after hours on a weekday ensured they could safely enjoy the rink as well.

 _Oh don't you dare look back_

 _Just keep your eyes on me_

 _I said you're holding back_

 _She said shut up and dance with me_

They were dancing and skating at once, the movements coming naturally to them. Poppy's heart fluttered as Branch laughed, having the time of his life. She wanted to hear that laughter everyday for the rest of her life. She was so in love.

She jumped in for a kiss, Branch accepting it. It burned their lips, springing a warm feeling deep within. It took a moment for them to disconnect.

" **This woman is my destiny,** " Branch singed suddenly. " **She said:** "

" **Ooooo** ," she singed back. " **Shut up and dance with me**!"

They followed along with the song in harmony, kissing every so often. Biggie and his date joined in eventually, the larger troll was convinced to give the pets some alone time. They weren't dancing as enthusiastically, but Biggie was beginning have fun with his partner.

" **Deep in her eyes, I think I see the future**." He twirled Poppy around. " **I realize this is my last chance**." He spun around gracefully as well. " **She took my arm, I don't know how it happened, we took the floor and she said** :" He picked her up, still twirling.

" **Oh don't you dare look back, just keep your eyes on me** ," She half-laughed as she sang.

" **I said you're holding back, she said** :"

" **SHUT UP AND MARRY ME**!"

" **This woman is my destiny, she-** " Branch paused and blinked. Poppy grinned widely at him, adrenaline rushing through her brain, anticipating the answer.

"Poppy, are you serious?" She nodded.

"Poppy, come on, not tonight, not right now." He slowly brought her back down, still connected to her by the arms. "Let's just enjoy this moment."

"But you just said yourself, I'm your destiny! You can see the future, our future, deep in my eyes," She brought herself closer to him, arms wrapping around, aiming for another kiss.

He blocked her with a hand. "I was just singing that, it was spur of the moment. We still need to take things slow." He gestured towards the other couple in the rink. "They're taking their time, too."

She frowned, the mood was starting to go sour.

"It's not so much taking their time as it is _Biggie_ being an _oblivious idiot that can't see a good thing in front of him!"_

He was about to chastise her for speaking so ill of a good friend, until he realized she wasn't actually talking about _Biggie_.

"Well maybe _Nectar_ should consider _Biggie's_ feelings more since he's obviously not ready for the next stage." He growled back.

"And maybe _Biggie_ should be ready for the next stage and accept it, because _Nectar_ deserves a whole lot better than that after all the trouble they went through together!"

"Oh ho, better? Is that what _Nectar_ thinks of _Biggie_? That's she's lessening herself for his benefit? That he needs to appreciate _her majesty's charity?!_ " He spitefully spat.

"That's not what I meant and you know it!" She clenched her fists. She was seething.

"Do I? Well maybe her royal pain-in-the-butt _Nectar_ could use a little time off on her charity work, 'cause the answer is still a big, fat NO. And it will be a NO until _Biggie_ is ready!"

"You, you, you NASTY MEAN TROLL!" Poppy screamed like she's never had before.

"OBNOXIOUS IMMATURE SPOILED BRAT!"

"DEMON-EARED GRUMP!"

"GARISH PINK DITZ!"

"IDIOT!" Poppy hollered with all her might, stomping her foot. "STUPID, SELF ABSORBED _IDIOT_!"

They were breathing heavily, catching their breaths, grinding their teeth, caught up in a tense glaring battle.

And suddenly were all over each other, passionately making out, hands in hair, or wrapped around their torso, the world around them forgotten. Their emotions were running high, a fever lighting up inside. They paused for a moment to catch their breaths again.

"It's still no." Branch heaved.

"Just shut up." Poppy dived right back in.

Biggie and Nectar, meanwhile, had stopped in their tracks during the argument, staring wide eyed at the other couple.

Biggie turned to his partner, astonished. "You like me?"

She collapsed in embarrassment.

"Oh, snap!" Mr. Dinkles spoke.

"My, oh my!" Miss Jellybean replied back.

* * *

Sorry for the wait! Even with Thanksgiving and friday off I had so little time to actually proofread and tweak. Better late than never! See y'all in the next chapter!

"Shut Up And Dance" by Walk The Moon


	5. Happy

I'm sorry it took so long, everyone! This was actually two chapters made into one! I'm not entirely happy with it, but I can't seem to figure out how to make it perfect, and I didn't want to wait even longer to publish (I hate my poem! It's so ick!). I can always go back and fix stuff in the future anyway.

Important Note: I changed up the style again; **singing will have bold text** to make it distinct from regular speaking. I'll fix up the other chapters as soon as I publish this chapter.

* * *

Last Poppy counted, they had collectively apologized over a hundred times by now in less than one hour.

To each other, to Biggie, to his semi-unconscious date, to the diner's owner, although Branch refuses to do so for the pet worms.

They had bid Biggie goodnight just a minute before, at the branch where his date resided, with one last apology and a promise to his favorite cookies, snickerdoodles. The poor big guy had been forced to pry them off each other, while carrying a knocked out troll and both worms, and while the bergen owner demanded they leave so he could go home.

I'm not even sure whether this date counts as a success or a failure. She looked to her boyfriend, a good solid five inches away from her. He stared forward without a word. When his eyes lingered over to her, she gave a small reassuring smile, but he quickly turned back to staring in front of him as if nothing happened, though his darkening face told otherwise. He jumped when he felt her hand clasp his and squeeze.

"I'm sorry again, this is all my fault."

He seemed to relax, and this time turned to face her. "It takes two to tango, Popps. I didn't mean those things I said."

"I know, I didn't mean them either."

"I know." The small amount of tension lingering over dissipated as they gave each other soft, reassuring smiles. He leaned over to kiss her in the cheek, but she turned so he landed on her lips instead. They kept at it, with small little pecks and a few more apologies, before reaching her pod.

"It was fun...I mean, before, you know." He struggled to speak.

"I enjoyed tonight! Thanks for taking us rollerblading! The pizza was great, too!" She laughed, waving off their troubles.

"Even though it wasn't sweet?"

"Especially because it wasn't." Her grin shined in the dark. "You've made me pretty adventurous, Mr. Onion-breath!"

"You got me there," He laughed. "Goodnight, I'll swing by in the morning if you want." He leaned over to kiss her once more as a farewell, but she shook her head and clutched his arms tighter.

"Please stay over." She looked at him with pleading eyes that made his heart skip.

It was tempting, he was exhausted, and they could spend time alone. But it would a terrible idea, that could lead to regretful events. So with the last of his wavering willpower, he planted the kiss on her forehead.

"Goodnight," He repeated softly. "I love you."

"Love you too." She reluctantly let him go, watching his backside as he walked away, towards the dimly lit staircase, until her vision was too obscured by the surrounding leaves.

Getting into her pod proved a challenge; the wind was strong tonight and although pods were built to withstand and hold steady, that didn't mean they wouldn't shift around. She contemplated opening a single petal and hope the wind doesn't send her things flying. Eventually though, it settled down enough to let her enter the doorway safely.

She showered and dressed quickly, but felt no rush to head to bed. Recalling the small piece of paper Branch gave her at the beginning of the night. She turned to the side table she left it at; it was still there, unfolded. Curious, she reached out for it. It was some nice crisp parchment, a bit wrinkled around the edges, with a crease in the middle where it had been folded. Opening it, she read:

What is the hue of a heart that adores?

You are the embodiment of that feeling

The blushing shade of a budding rose

The darkening twilight that paints the sky

The pale flesh of a ripening watermelon

None can compare to your true color

She reread it with a fluttering heart. A poem, a love one at that! It was so cliche, and it didn't rhyme like she would expect, but it was oh so sweet and it was meant for her! The handwriting was amazingly elegant, as if the writer had spent many years refining the sway of every single letter. She believed it without a doubt. She could just imagine him back in his bunker, beside a flickering lantern, scribbling word after word on paper, grumbling and crumpling up whatever poems did not meet his standards. All while he showed that facade of uncaring and dislike to the rest of the world.

Giddily, she settled on her crafting desk, taking a scrapbook out from underneath it, as well as her other supplies out from her hair. The cover had mini versions of her and Branch hold hands surrounded in a large heart. The first few pages had been filled with memorable events that occurred between them, including that one special moment where they confessed and made everyone colorful again.

She spent a little longer than she should have staring at a miniaturized grey version of herself. Shaking the thoughts away, she turned to a fresh page and began to work.

The two of them were in the center, wearing tonight's clothes, roller blading and smiling. She only wants to remember the fun part of the night. She made the four smaller forms of the other two couples, along with music notes, lots of hearts, the table, and the pizza. The end result filled her with joy; a perfect date where absolutely nothing went wrong and everyone was happy. She glued the lovely poem onto a blank spot on the page. Using markers, glitter, and more felt, she framed the parchment scrap in a lovely array of scrolls, flowers, and hearts. Now, it looked complete.

She jumped into bed, clutching the scrapbook, humming the song from earlier that night. She fell asleep to the fanciful thoughts of dancing gracefully to romantic, slow music, in an elegant dress along with her handsome new husband...

Her actual dream was not so pleasant.

* * *

"I see. Obviously, you're both masochists." DJ Suki slurped her raspberry mint smoothie.

"Given their track record before-"

"I thought that was a given." The twins snickered.

Branch choked on his pastry while Poppy pouted from her tiny kitchen.

"That's ridiculous!" Branch defended, "And none of your business! Why are we even telling you this anyway?"

"Oh sweetie, we would've found out eventually from the gossip reels, whether you like it or not." Satin winked at the male troll. "Might as well give your side of the story."

"Speaking of gossip," Smidge spoke up, gulping down the rest of her breakfast. "What's this I heard about Biggie being there?" Branch made a note to glare down Poppy's nosy neighbors later. And Smidge, when Poppy isn't looking.

Hearing this new tidbit that somehow flew past their radar, the twins sharply turned to their favorite pair, staring accusingly at them for omitting this detail. Suki silently sipped her drink, pretending not to be curious as well.

"Our lips are sealed." The couple replied together.

"Aww!" Satin and Chenille protested.

"Ask him if your so curious," Branch grumbled, "It's his business, maybe he just wanted to keep it private."

"When 'his business' involves the power couple of the century? Please!" Satin rolled her eyes. "Spill it!"

Branch mimed zipping his lips while Poppy busily concentrated on icing her pastries.

"Fine, we'll ambush him later, lets talk more about _you_ , then." Satin smirked.

"Whose living with who when you're hitched?" Chenille squealed.

"Not you guys, too." Branch groaned, hiding behind his face, silently cursing their names. Poppy finally decided to hop in the conversation like the social butterfly she was born to be.

"Well we'd have to be officially living in a pod, we'll be king and queen, after all. But the root cottage would be a perfect getaway on our off days!" The pink troll giggled. "And it's good for extra storage!" She hadn't noticed the tiniest of flinches from Branch.

"Ooo, girlfriend's got a plan. I guess you are ready!" Smidge and the twins suggestively elbowed the embarrassed male troll, laughing at his expense.

"I've been thinking of how our saplings might look!" She teasingly wiggled her eyebrows at her boyfriend, who was getting more teal in the face every second. "I got a few name suggestions. What do you think of Pepper or Thimble, Branchie?"

"Okay," Branch shot up from his chair, "I'm out!" He beelined to the pod's exit, hiding his face.

"Nope!" Poppy immediately launched at him and wrapped around one of his arms, snuggling. "I have work again after today, you're staying with me 'til then, Grumpy!"

"I had plans, Popps." Branch pouted, still embarrassed.

"Not anymore!" Poppy gleamed back at him.

Before Branch could protest any further, Suki got up and stretched. "Then I'm out. Gotta play some records for the trolls or they're gonna get anxious. Thanks for breakfast, Popps!"

"Thanks for joining us!" Poppy gave the girl a tight squeeze, lifting her off the ground. "Branch and I will be out in a bit, too. Play us something upbeat, m'kay?"

"Of course!" Suki laughed.

"We'll head out as well," The twins smirked wickedly. "We've got a certain troll to speak to. Mind giving us a hand, Smidge?" Satin asked.

"Or rather, _hair_?" Chenille winked.

Catching on, the tiny troll grinned just as evilly. "Oh sure, sounds like a good use of my skills!"

"See you guys later then, have fun!" Poppy happily embraced them as well.

"Oh we will." The trio glanced at one another, locking arms. "You two take care!"

"Don't do anything crazy!" Branch hissed a warning at their retreating backs. They turned at the doorway to give him peace signs. DJ Suki followed behind with a final wave goodbye.

"Relax Branch, they wouldn't hurt a fly, I'm sure they were joking, mostly." Poppy kissed his cheek, affectionally wrapping an arm around him in a semi-hug. "Here, help me with this mess." She gestured to the dirty dishes on her table.

Branch sighed defeatedly. "Our friends get way too carried away." He picked up the glasses and coasters.

"Our?" Poppy smiled as she carefully stacked the dirty plates. "Awww, your warming up to them after all!"

"They're still occasionally annoying, some of them at least." He rolled his eyes, yet smiled genuinely.

"And so his shrunken heart grew three sizes that day." She teased him, earning her a light smack on the shoulder.

"I'll leave without helping." He jokingly threatened.

She blew him a raspberry in response. "Then you'll never get breakfast from me again!"

"Oh no, how will I ever live."

"On dirt and bark, probably."

"Excuse you, but I didn't live on dirt or bark!"

"I bet you tried." She turned the sink on to fill with clean water. She added soap and splashed around to create suds.

Realizing the silence went on for too long, she sharply turned to him, wide eyed. "Oh my god, you did!"

"I was experimenting! Survival stuff!" He pathetically shot back.

"That's so sad!" And yet she laughed.

"For making fun of me, you wash and I'll dry. Enjoy your wrinkled fingers!"

"Such a terrible punishment, how beastly you are, to this fair maiden." She pressed the back of her hand on her forehead, dramatically conveying her distress.

He did a double take. "Was that...?"

"Sarcasm? Two can play the game." She blew him another raspberry.

"You're so full of surprises." He sniffled, wiping an imaginary tear. "Your first sarcastic remark; I'm so proud."

"Har, har, quit it and grab a towel." She grabbed her soapy sponge and scrubbed a fork down.

"As you command, your majesty!" He bowed.

There weren't many dishes to clean, but they took their time with it. Poppy poked at every large bubble while Branch murmured about the few things he still needed to finish in his cottage. When dishes were done, she wiped down the table as he sorted the last utensil in it's place.

She hugged him from behind. "This was nice!"

With a small grin, he placed his hand over one of hers. "Yeah, a lot quieter with just the two of us."

"And refreshing! I never thought I would enjoy cleaning up so much!" She rested her head on the back of his. Feeling brave, she decided to do something they've yet to venture in their relationship.

"Branch, can we...?" She shifted her hair to somewhat wrap around Branch's with the lightest touch, asking for an invitation. Branch's became a little unnerved; years of living on survival instincts itched at his conscious as he thought of the millions of things that could go wrong with his primary defense hindered in such a way. After a moment he gave the slightest, hesitant nod that Poppy could barely feel.

Branch shoulders tensed up at the feeling of Poppy's hair wrapping around his. He took deep breaths. Calm down, this is normal couple stuff. There's no predators, it's safe to tangle hairs together. You've done this before, even if it was to rescue that no good cretin. I trust her. Calm down. He reluctantly wrapped his around hers as well. It only last a few more seconds before they detangled. The strain forming on the back his neck faded, and he took another deep breath in relief.

She rubbed his shoulders, massaging them. "Sorry, I hope that wasn't too much."

He smiled at her reassuringly. "I'll get used to it." His ears twitched. "Hey, listen."

Poppy tuned her ears as well, in the way he once showed her; they perked up upon recognizing the sound.

(It might seem crazy what I'm about to say)

"I LOVE this song!" She brightened up. Grabbing his wrist, she quickly dragged him out of her home.

(Sunshine she's here, you can take away)

"You love every song!" He chuckled, tailing behind.

(I'm a hot air balloon, I could go to space)

"I LOVE this one a ton more!" She was already skipping her way over to the source.

(With the air, like I don't care baby by the way)

Giving an air high five at DJ Suki, she joined along with the growing, singing crowd, leading them on.

(Because I'm happy)

" **Clap along if you feel like a room without a roof**!" She clapped and dance, other trolls following along.

(Because I'm happy)

" **Clap along if you feel like happiness is the truth!** "

(Because I'm happy)

" **Clap along if you know what happiness is to you**!"

(Because I'm happy)

" **Clap along if you feel like that's what you wanna do**! Come on Branch!" She gestured to him

The excited crowd cheered him on as he slid in alongside her.

" **Here come bad news talking this and that**!" The other trolls went crazy over his gorgeous voice.

" **Yeah, give me all you got, don't hold back**!" Poppy danced around him flirtingly, prompting some whistles.

" **Yeah, well I should probably warn you I'll be just fine**!" He spun her around.

" **Yeah, no offense to you don't waste your time. Here's why**!"

(Because I'm happy)

They sang and danced the rest of the song together, with many laughs, and a few hugs, along the way. They did so with the next song, and the next song, and the next.

" **It's always a good time! Whoa-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh** -WHOA!" Poppy yelped as a strong gust of wind shook the twig she had been holding on to as she danced, sending her flying in the air. Branch jumped into action and whipped up his hair to grab her by the legs.

He pulled her into his arms, bracing as a more powerful lurch rocked the branches, flinging a few more trolls around. Some were caught by others, while a few fell to the ground and had to catch their own falls. Leaves scattered everywhere, making it harder to see. He could barely hear his own voice as he screeched at the other trolls to either grab hold of something or move to the center.

Branch trotted to a thicker, sturdier area. Sure, the tree would always be healthy and strong as long as trolls singed around it, and they've done plenty of that just a moment ago. But the force of the wind seemed so violent he couldn't help but be concerned that smaller twigs and branches could splinter off and crash on them.

Just as quickly as it seemed to came, so did it end. It took a moment for everyone to regain their composure. Poppy struggled to free herself from Branch's hold, in order to check on the other trolls. He reluctantly let go, and surveyed the damage as she wordlessly hopped down to assist the grounded trolls going into full queen mode.

As he expected, small twigs and leaves littered everywhere, most of it falling down with every sway. And aside from a little bruising, none of the tree's residents seemed to be seriously harmed.

His major concern was the last two branches that still held old, structurally weak pods that had been set to be demolished. Some of them were temporary homes for trolls still waiting on their newer pods. He was already running in that general direction.

"Mr. Branch! Where's Queen Poppy?" A troll frantically ran to him, one of her managers. "Some pods fell down on the other side! Mr. Peppy is already there!"

"She's on the ground, checking on some trolls. I'm on my way!" He didn't stop running.

"Thank you, sir! I'll let her know the situation!" The manager hollered from behind.

"Branch, what do we do?" A random troll called out to him, clutching his child.

"Everyone, stay away from the smaller branches and head to the trunk!" He yelled loud enough for many to hear. "Help anyone who seems to be struggling!"

"Yes sir!"

With his sensitive ears, he could hear the child comment to her father, "He's gonna be our king, huh daddy?"

"Ranch, my boy! So glad to see you!" Peppy tightly embraced him. Branch could barely breathe.

"It's Branch, sir." He managed to choke out.

"Of course! That's exactly what I said!" Peppy set him back down, allowing the other troll to inhale sweet, sweet air. It's no wonder where Poppy got her love for bone-crushing hugs from.

"Has - gasp - anyone been hurt?"

"Hmm, nope, though several lost their pods now," Peppy nodded thoughtfully. "The capflower sap and fibers have been swept away, unfortunately, and the capflowers we've planted are still not fully grown, so we'll have to collect more before we can build more pods; those poor trolls are homeless for the time being. Not to worry, they'll stay with me until then, no troll left behind!" Peppy shouted.

"That won't be necessary sir-"

"Please, call me Peppy, Ranch."

"...Anyways, We have the community shelter set up in the hollow, remember?"

"Oh, yes, of course, of course!" The forgetful older troll recalled. "Your idea it was, brilliant it is! How have I not thought of it?"

"...You did. You and the elders made it a long time ago, for this exact weather, even." Branch shook his head, smiling at the memories. Poppy's father was a kooky person, but a smart, respectable leader back in his prime.

"Oh, yes, yes, of course I remember, I think." It was obvious he didn't. "And you've thought of it again when us old geezers can't even swing a bat, give yourself credit, Brunch!" Peppy laughed heartily, patting Branch on the back very, very hard.

Poppy had made her way to her father and Branch at that moment. "How's everything?" She made her way to Branch, rubbing his back in comfort as he bent over from the pain.

"Poppy, my child, here you are! I've seen your boy before I've even seen you today!" He embraced his daughter, and Branch again, in a tight squeeze.

"Hey dad!" She squealed happily, "Sorry, I had friends over this morning."

"It's alright, little petal, as long as you come an' see ol' Peppy anytime!"

"A few trolls will have to live in the community shelter for now," Branch informed Poppy, both of them still in her father's embrace. "And we need to remove those bad pods asap. Were apparently unable to make new ones for now, though. Our capflower sap and fibers are gone."

"That's awfull! We'll need to make another trip to the meadow already!"

"I'll go!" Peppy volunteered, raising his hands up like a child in class. Both trolls crashed to the floor. "Leave it to old daddy! I'll get twice as much, no troll left behind!" He screamed, running around.

"I suggest until the windy season ends, we should just make the pods for the few trolls left inside the hollow and plant them later." Poppy nodded in approval of this plan.

"That works for the older trolls, but what about seedling buds?"

"If we come across that, we can form a cocoon of sorts around those ones until they grow. It'll waste sap, but if your father brings twice as much anyway, it's worth it."

Poppy smiled at her boyfriend. She wrapped her arms around him, planting a kiss directly on the lips. "You always think of everything! What will I do without you, Branch?"

"Have twice as many parties and no plans for disasters." They both laughed at that. Meanwhile, her father continued to scream "No troll left behind!" In the background, with fewer and fewer clothing.

"I'm serious, though, you've been my life saver so many times now." She rested her head on the nape of his neck. "You're going to make a great king, someday."

She looked up when she felt a little jolt coming from her boyfriend. "You okay?"

"Fine!" His voice was a lot higher pitched for whatever reason. "Just dandy!" He forced a large, unnatural-looking grin. "Let's, uhh, let's check in on, um, everyone! Yes, everyone!"

They walked side by side, holding hands, and got to work assuring their people's safety, while her father lost the last bit of his underwear.

* * *

Poppy wasted no time setting up an emergency meeting with King Gristle. As part of their official peace treaty, the Green Bergen Town Project was a pivotal part in improving the lives of both trolls and Bergens; cleaner air, helpful flowers, edible gardens, lots of shade, even proper benches for Bergen's use. Since the strong wind came specifically from the straight, uninterrupted west road, planting trees along the sidewalk and at the center of the roundabout at it's end would make a natural barrier to ease some of the wind's strength in the future. Therefore, it was absolutely essential to speak to the Bergen King about pulling all efforts of the Green Project to that specific area.

It took hours of talking and planning, and it would still be a while to set things in motion. For now, King Gristle proposed a physical wall by the troll tree until the windy season was over. It would be ugly, but then again most of Bergen Town was still barely in the stages of proper clean up itself, so there wasn't much to see.

Poppy was beyond exhausted at the end of the meeting, and had no intention of dragging her feet back to the tree. Plus, she wanted to enjoy Bridget's company. So here she was, in Bridget's large room, across the hall from King Gristle's own, one that was befitting for the future Bergen Queen, and everything the sweet girl deserved. It was far better than the small dungeon-like abode she once resided.

Bridget stepped out from the ornate room divider. "Ta da! What'd you think?" She was adorned in an off-white puffy-sleeved lace dress with daisy stitchings, and heels that looked killer. Her small, veiled tiara was entwined with red silk roses. She had on a curly wig in pink ombré. Wigs were something she'd been wearing nowadays.

Poppy dropped the florist catalog she had been reading and gasped. "Bridget, you're beautiful! You're going to knock Gristle's socks off!" She clapped and whistled as the Bergen girls strutted across the room like she was doing a runway.

"I hope so, it's going to be the biggest day of my life! I gotta look like his dream come true!" Bridget slumped down on her bed, on the verge of tears. "I can't believe this is going to happen!" The girl began to cry with overwhelming joy, prompting a hug from the troll queen.

"Just you wait," Poppy patted the sobbing girl. "In two months you'll be married and have your happily ever after, and everyone will be there cheering you on. You're going to be the perfect queen, Bridget!" She couldn't help but dream about her own wedding, as well, whenever that would be.

"Oh my gawd, Poppy, I'm getting jittery! What if I screw it up on the big day? Like I forget my wig, or, or, or trip down the aisle? Oh my gawd, oh my gawd!" Bridget started to hyperventilate, and fanned herself with a bridal magazine.

"It's not going to happen! As your Maid of Honor, I guarantee it's going to be absolutely flawless!" Poppy crossed her heart on that promise.

"I believe you, you're the best, Poppy!" Bridget calmed down for just a moment before a memory struck her. "Oh, and how is it with you and Branch? Did you ask him again after that date?"

Poppy stayed a bit silent, her ever present grin fading at the edges, her eyes twinkling just a little less. "It's...we'll get to that point, eventually. She smiled softly at Bridget. "And then it'll be your turn to be the Maid of Honor."

"Don't give up, girlfriend, you two are, like, literally soulmates!" Bridget stretched a finger out, which Poppy grabbed with her own hands. "And if he can't see that, we'll knock the sense into him!"

The pink troll giggled. "There's the Poppy I know and love. Hey, check this out!" Bridget sat back up, setting Poppy onto her knee. She opened up a dress magazine. "Look, they're about your size on the catalog! There's one that reminded me of you, lemme try and find it...here it is!" She turned a couple of pages over and pointed at a dress near the left bottom corner. "It even has a pretty flower crown!"

Poppy took in the picture of the pretty little dress; it indeed had a crown with flowers of various colors and baby's breath wrapped around. The sleeves were short, transparent, wide, and scalloped in a way that reminded poppy of the design at the bottom of her own dress. The dress had a few layers, scalloped as well, and transparent at the end. It really did look like something she would wear.

Bridget grabbed a pair of scissors from a catch all drawer, cutting along the edges of the image. She held out the cut out to Poppy, who gratefully accepted. Cupping Poppy in her hands, Bridget made her way back over to the room divider, where the opposite side was lined in full body mirrors. She held up Poppy to the reflecting glass, allowing the girl a good look at herself with the cut out dress.

It wasn't exactly 'her' size, the image was somewhat bigger than her actual frame. But she could still picture it so clearly. She was stunned at the sight before her. All her silly little day dreams were nothing more than a blurry, fuzzy vision in her head, details be damned. But here, the little cut out gave a crystal clear picture of that hopeful future.

"Bridget, I..." She couldn't find the words to say. "I..."

"You look beautiful, girlfriend. You're gonna be the prettiest troll bride of all someday." Bridget began to sing. " **I will be with the One I love, with unveiled face I'll see Him**."

" **There my soul will be satisfied** ," Poppy sang along.

" **Soon and very soon**." They finished together, sighing happily.

"Come on, lets check out the other dresses. You can take the ones you like most back to your place!"

Poppy nodded, "Sure." But she didn't need to see any other dress; this one was already hers.

They spent the last of the evening making a wedding collage, quietly talking about hopes, dreams, worries and memories.

* * *

Branch lied restlessly on his uncomfortable cot. Instead of an entire happy day with Poppy and their friends, Poppy went off to Bergen Castle while he was left in charge of damage control; making sure the entire troll population was okay, inspecting every single pod, addressing some concerned trolls, directing a few families to the shelter, answering the same damn five questions a hundred times, forming parties that would travel with Peppy, and clean up crews to pick up debris. The list went on and on!

 _"You're a lifesaver, Branch, I thought my family just lost it all!" A female troll gratefully accepted the few belongings he managed to retrieve from her former home. Her husband carried the spare blankets and other necessities donated to them. "A troll like you will make a great **king** someday. Queen Poppy sure knows how to pick 'em!"_

Troll Tree was a mess, work was delayed, plans were ruined and had to be adjusted, supplies were lower, morale was lower, trolls were homeless while he slept in his cozy cottage...

The stupid weather was still an issue, and it wouldn't have been if he hadn't delayed weeks worth of labor into _over three months_!

 _"Don't worry grandpa, Mr. Branch has it figured out, he always does, that's why he's our future **king**." A young troll reassured the aging elder._

Problem after problem kept popping out at every corner! Soon the weather will be too cold and harsh. The Cyclop Crows residing in Bergen Town were getting far too curious. Troll Tree wasn't growing with it's population like it was _suppose_ to. Why the hell were random trolls still _hugging_ him out of nowhere?!

 _"Lavender's blue, dilly dilly, lavender's green," some little saplings sang as they danced around in a circle, supervised by their schoolteacher. "When you are **king** , dilly dilly, I shall be queen." They glanced his way, laughing knowingly, their teacher joining in_.

And dear god, the citizens were annoying! Can't they see the danger lurking in every corner? What if the Bergens began to miss the taste of troll? What if a new predator starts lurking by? What if the tree is dying and no amount of _obnoxious singing_ is going to save it?

How are they so _blind_?

 _"That's him, the Queen's boyfriend." A troll whispered to her friend. "They're so lucky; she gets a handsome, smart troll with a heavenly voice!"_

 _"And he gets to be royalty someday, the troll **king**!"_

 _"He's already prince charming in my book." They giggled behind his back._

And the whispers! The whispers were everywhere, driving him crazy! Telling him what he should be, what he will be, how he will be. None of them were ever about what he _wants_ to be.

 _"That's the **king** , big brother!"_

 _"Not yet, Hegwin!"_

He wants to hide. Far away from everyone. Away from his troubles.

 _" **King** -! Oops, I mean, Mr. Branch!" Poppy's project manager cleared his throat, pretending he hadn't just slipped up._

He can't fix everything, not even with Poppy's help.

 _"Well we'd have to be officially living in a pod, we'll be **king** and queen, after all. But the root cottage would be a perfect getaway on our off days!" The pink troll giggled._

He wasn't brave, he wasn't a hero, he wasn't anything special!

 _"He's gonna be our **king** , huh daddy?"_

He'll be powerless when something bad happens, and it _will_ happen.

 _"You've been my life saver so many times now." Poppy rested her head on the nape of his neck. "You're going to make a great **king** , someday."_

And it'll be all his **fault**.

It took him so long, but he eventually fell asleep, stressed and troubled, not noticing the flicker of coal black at the tip of his hair.

* * *

Uh oh, look what I did there :P

"Happy" by Pharrell Williams

"Soon" by Hillsong?


	6. Hide Your Fears

Okay, first of all, I'm so sorry it took so long to write this. It's the holidays, and work is just killer. I don't even get another break until Christmas!

Second of all, I hope you enjoy this chapter; its a bit awkward in my personal opinion (but then again I always feel that way with most of my chapters)

I'm aiming to get another chapter done asap, I want it for Christmas actually, so please bare with me and I hope what I have written will suffice.

It's really only about half my original draft, to be honest, so the next chapter is the second half of what this was suppose to be. Seriously, I did not realize I would've written so much. Always, less talking, more story!

* * *

The first he noticed when he woke up was the splitting headache.

Sleep still crusted his eyes, leaving him vulnerable to his surroundings, unable to see or think clearly. When he yawned the headache only worsened, and he could feel the soreness lingering all over his back and shoulders. Even with a shoddy cot, Branch had gotten used to discomfort over the last three months. Now it seemed every bone in him ached.

 _I haven't felt this terrible since..._ He groaned; he couldn't even finish his thoughts when his head felt like it was cracking open.

He slowly and carefully stumbled his way to his storage room. He knew the medicine would be closet to the doorway, but finding the right one would still be a challenge in his current state. Weakly, he yanked glass jars off the shelves, peering at them closely to read the too small labels, and then shoving them in the shelf underneath; he could reorganize later.

After almost ten minutes he found the jar containing his antidote; wrinkled purplish berries, fermented and soaked in sap, meant for headaches and minor pain.

 _I haven't needed these in a while_ , he popped two into his mouth, biting down into the shriveled skin. He grimaced at the bitter-sourness, but swallowed anyway.

He trudged his way straight to the bathroom, the only place that currently had running water, in order to wash away the awful taste and freshen himself up. He stumbled around as the headache continued to pound into his skull; it would still take a few more minutes for the berries to take effect. Holding onto the wall, he eventually he found his way and clutched the sink for dear life.

After a few more minutes the pain was no longer overwhelming and he could stand up straight. Glancing at the mirror, he could see he was in a sorry state; tired bags under his eyes, duller skin, crust on the corners of his mouth, his hair sticking out everywhere.

 _I haven't looked this bad in months_ , he turned the sink on. He cupped his hands underneath the freezing water and took a few sips before splashing his face. The cold liquid helped jolt him to a more awake state. He grabbed for a towel to dry himself up, then reached for his brush to do away the tangles and straighten the mess up.

It took a few more minutes of brushing before Branch noticed something seemed a little off about his appearance. _But what?_ He pondered. He folded his hair down to brush the tips of it, and that's when realization struck him, stopping him in his tracks. He dropped his brush into the sink as the horror crept up his face.

Black hair.

* * *

Poppy skipped merrily behind the troll that came to fetch her from Bergen castle, half-listening as her companion recapped yesterday's events and listed off today's schedule.

She had woken up fine and dandy, and not all sweating, in the middle of the night, from her second nightmare in a row.

Breakfast with Bridget, King Gristle and the guards had been absolutely pleasant; the couple had been too busy flirting with one another in the most adorable fashion, so she had been chatting it up mainly with Chad, learning more about how the Bergen's were doing.

 _"Someone's wanting to open up a bakery soon; we've never had such a thing before!" The guard mentioned excitedly. "I heard she's been learning from some of your trolls."_

 _"That's Mrs. Pitts; I've talked with her about it! She's a natural with bread." Poppy remembered fondly. Like many Bergens, she had been reluctant to come up to the trolls directly; many still felt guilt over the past. But trolls forgave easily, and soon she had been apprenticed by several of the best bakers, including Biggie. "We'll be looking forward to her grand opening!"_

As she left, Gristle promised to have several Bergens build the wall as quickly as possible; it would be a temporary fix for the strong winds until spring. He warned them that hail would be another problem, though, especially for creatures their size. He had to describe to her what hail was, as they've never had it back in the village.

 _"It's ice that falls from the sky, and it could be as small as a grain of rice or as big as a baseball!" He had explained. "It happens at this time of the year as well, and sometimes up until early spring!"_

 _Just another problem in a long, growing list to worry about_. She sighed. She would had to have a talk with the older trolls later, the ones that had lived in the tree over twenty years ago, to see about that matter.

 _And about the tree itself_ , she recalled an earlier comment from Branch about how they were quickly losing room for the troll population. His worries were sometimes unfounded, but it wouldn't hurt ask an elder about it anyway.

After all, she trusted in him above even herself.

* * *

 _Disaster struck on their very first day._

 _It seemed so convenient to have pods bloom along with the tree as it returned to it's former glory. However, as soon as the trolls settled in, claiming whatever pod they desired, several problems occurred instantly._

 _All of them were bare, to the disappointment of the trolls expecting their old homes._

 _Some were far too close to one another, some learned as they squeezed into the narrow space where the doorways were._

 _Some petals didn't even open up, Poppy had learned herself when the bright orange and pink one she claimed stayed closed. It didn't even have a door._

 _Some had no convenient way to even approach; her own father tried to jump fifteen feet at a yellow pod. He had a bruised head for his efforts._

 _And all of them were weak and unstable, as a quarter of the population learned as their pods dropped to the ground, with them screaming inside. Dr. Plum had a lot of patients that first night._

 _An emergency council was set up in the middle of the night, and here she was in front of everyone as they pleaded to her for guidance. And she had no clue what she was doing._

 _Once upon a time she was a princess, the world was all cupcakes and rainbows, and while her future as a queen seemed certain, there was nothing to worry about; she would be the BEST ruler ever!_

 _Now she was a queen that learned the hard way that the world wasn't cupcakes and rainbows, and even when she prevailed one major obstacle, another was ready to take it's place. This was reality._

 _"Everyone calm down," She struggled to be heard over the sea of voices. "We'll solve this mess, but please speak one at a time!"_

 _"But queen Poppy, where will be sleep?" One troll shouted out._

 _"My husband got hurt!"_

 _"I have no home!"_

 _"What's your solution?"_

 _"My solution?" Poppy had no solution, she was still new to this. For most of her life, she never had to solve anything beyond 'which music to play for this party?'_

 _Her solution to saving her friends was heading onto the dangerous forest with nothing but scrapbooking materials. She almost died several times in several minutes._

 _Her solution to saving a maybe dead Creek was getting a maid to date a king. It was sheer dumb luck and convenience that they ended up loving one another._

 _Her solution to saving the maid was running inside a room full of hungry Bergens and trying to show them happiness. It could have very easily gone a completely different way._

 _Looking back, her actions had been sudden, spontaneous, risky and the exact opposite of what a queen needed to do._

 _"We could...sleep outside?"_

 _"It's cold, Queen Poppy!"_

 _"Head back to the village?_

 _"AT NIGHT?!"_

 _"We're tired and it's too dangerous on our own!"_

 _"Uhh," She thought harder._

 _"Queen Poppy!"_

 _"Your majesty!"_

 _She searched for her father for help, before remembering he was still recovering at the tree's base._

 _"Well, we could..."_

 _"QUEEN-"_

 _"ENOUGH!"_

 _The booming voice echoed across the tree. Every single troll was now silent and attentive._

 _Branch made his way to front and stood beside her, grasping her hand, squeezing it gently, giving her a small, reassuring smile that she returned. He turned away from her to address the trolls._

 _"Alright everyone, I know it's been a rocky start, but we need to keep a clear mind and think this through." He turned back to her. "So, what's the plan?"_

 _"I-I don't k-know," She whispered with a stutter, still overwhelmed by the situation, "I just don't know. Please help?" She pleaded to him._

 _He nodded, and spoke up to the other trolls again. "Alright, so here's what we'll do for now; we'll ask King Gristle to lend us shelter for the time being." Poppy hadn't even thought of that._

 _"In the morning, we'll need volunteers to return to the village and gather supplies to make new pods."_

 _"But's it's dangerous!"_

 _"I'll go along," Branch affirmed, "I know how to get there safely, I've been through the forest for twenty years. You can trust me to get you there."_

 _"But will the Bergen king take us in?"_

 _"He will," Poppy spoke up, braver and more confident, "And not just because we're friends now; I know my friend Bridget won't turn us away, and King Gristle will follow her lead!"_

 _Many of the trolls nodded, satisfied._

* * *

 _A few days later, Branch returned with his troupe of volunteers and supplies._

 _Poppy and a group of selected trolls gathered around him as he folded out a worn piece of paper. Sketched onto the surface was a detailed replica of the Troll tree._

 _"We should start building from the top, away from our campsite." He pointed to a certain area of the tree. "And we'll have a stairway wrapped around the trunk."_

 _"The first few pods will house the elderly and younger trolls for now," Poppy added in, "Then we'll sort out where everyone will be living once we're about halfway done."_

 _"But first, we need to make a lake that connects to the Bergen's water system. We'll need to stay hydrated for a project this big, and it'll make farming a lot easier." Branch traced his finger over the outer area of the sketch. "King Gristle is also expanding the area for our use, this part of the pavement will be removed and replaced with grass. There'll also be garden boxes we can plant in."_

 _"And since Gallberries grow year round," Poppy piped up, "That's what we'll plant there first. Bridget will uproot them from Gristle's garden for us. That way we wont have to venture there all the time."_

 _She looked to him for approval. She could see the pride in his face._

* * *

And for the last three months, he had been nothing but helpful in every single way.

 _Nothing would've been possible without him_ , She dreamily thought. _He's my rock, my support. I would've made so many mistakes on my own; who knows where we'd be right now._

She walked past by some Bergens walking towards the castle, builders by trade. True to his word, King Gristle was getting the wall built as quickly as possible.

Thanks again to Branch, both for suggesting it and for taking over while she spoke to the Bergen king about it yesterday.

"Thank you, Gingersnap, I'll meet with you and the managers up at the trunk." She parted away from her escort as soon as they were at the base of the trunk.

"Where are you going, your majesty?"

"To get Branch." She winked.

"Oh, of course! See you both soon!" Her companion was satisfied with the answer and left up the stairway.

Poppy danced her way to Branch's cosy little cottage. She knew he'll be willing to help her out today.

She could always count on him.

* * *

 _After a half hour of appointing jobs and positions, Poppy and Branch split from the group to talk more privately. Holding hands, they made their way to the outer edges of the tree._

 _"You're doing great, Poppy, there's nothing to worry about."_

 _"Thanks to you; we make such a good team!" She smiled thoughtfully at him._

 _"Yeah," He returned the smile. "We do."_

 _They were a good distance away from prying eyes. Facing each other, they stood there for a moment, thinking through what course of action to take. The silence wasn't awkward, but comforting._

 _"So..." She looked into his ice blue eyes, blushing slightly._

 _"So?" Branch raised an eyebrow._

 _"Are we, you know?"_

 _It took him a moment to understand. "Yeah, I mean, if you want."_

 _"Of course I do!" Butterflies fluttered in her stomach._

 _"Okay then, it's official." He grinned at her endearingly. "We're...together." He squeezed both her hands._

 _She couldn't suppress the giggle bubbling in her throat. "Boyfriend and girlfriend!" She exclaimed, making him jump._

 _"Geeze Popps, scream it to the world, why don't you."_

 _"I'm sorry," She laughed, totally not sorry, "It's all new to me, I'm so excited!"_

 _"New?" He was surprised at that. "Does that mean you've never...?"_

 _"What, dated? No." She blushed deeper, glancing away. "It's a first for me, I always turned down anyone who asked."_

 _"So, not even...him?"_

 _She bit her lip._

 _"Sorry, forget I said anything."_

 _"No." She shook her head. "It's okay, I mean." The words were caught in her throat. "I admit, I did have a HUGE crush on...Creek." She gulped. "He was just...always there, you know?"_

 _She braved looking straight at Branch, and was relieved he didn't look angry. More curious, actually._

 _"But even then, it was more...I dunno, I just couldn't think of anyone else. So, I focused on my friends instead and just...leaved it to the future."_

 _"And now?" She could see the uncertainty in his face._

 _She smiled brightly at him. "I'm glad I waited for the right one."_

 _He smiled back._

 _Slowly, they edged a little closer, leaning towards one another. Neither closed their eyes, and they could practically hear their hearts beating loudly like drums to an ancient dance._

 _They hadn't even gotten close enough to feel the graze of one another's breaths when he pulled further away._

 _"Sorry," he blushed furiously, "Sorry, I'm not ready just yet, give me a moment."_

 _"Don't worry about it," She softly cooed, "We'll get there soon, take your time. I know it's new for you, too. I can wait."_

 _When he relaxed, she moved to embrace him instead, which he gratefully accepted._

 _" **One step at a time, there's no need to rush,** " She sang, " **It's like learning to fly-** "_

 _" **Or falling in love**." He joined._

 _" **It's going to happen, and it's suppose to have once you find the reasons why, one step at a time**."_

* * *

 _But one month passed and they were both so busy that they only ever met up for anything work related._

 _She just couldn't help herself._

 _And the meeting was just so boring she accidentally got lost in thought._

 _"Now that the community center is up and running again, we can stockpile some of the food-" He stopped short at the press of lips on his cheek. The others trolls that had been listening attentively gasped in astonishment as well._

 _"Poppy!" His eyes were as wide as plump berries, his face a dark blue. "What was that!?"_

 _"I'm sorry!" She squealed, hiding her face in embarrassment. "I didn't mean to, I was daydreaming!"_

 _"Oh my god!" He left quickly, abandoning the meeting. Trolls clapped and cheered for him, some even futilely reaching out for a high five. No one saw him for the rest of the day._

 _She was surrounded by trolls now, giving her hugs. The meeting was straight up over and many trolls left to spread gossip about their queen and her secret boyfriend._

 _"You know your majesty," A troll currently hugging her spoke up in her ear. "He's a great troll to have by your side; caring, strong, smart, and a good leader. You picked a perfect one."_

 _She could only blush in agreement._

* * *

 _It would be another month before she was brave enough to try it again, and had the opportunity to do so_.

 _She left him at the trunk happily stunned, running over to the troll manager that had been calling her for assistance. She could hear the whispers of everyone who had just witnessed the second kiss. This time she wasn't mortified, but rather elated by her action. Once they had more time to be together, maybe she could plant it on his lips next._

 _Her pod removal manager embraced her as soon as she was within reach._

 _"You two are adorable together, everyone's so excited!"_

 _She hugged back, giggling. "Why exactly?"_

 _"Isn't it obvious, my queen?" The manager looked at her incredulous. "You two are so smitten with one another, it won't be long before theres a wedding!"_

 _Poppy did a double take. "Oh no, you got it all wrong! We've been too busy to even go on one date; it'll be a long while before we reach that point. These things take time."_

 _"You never know!" The manager laughed, winking at her. "I've heard he's had a crush on you for the longest time. That troll's probably ready to swap bracelets with you any moment!"_

 _Poppy chuckled, shaking her head. It was just a silly rumor, the trolls were probably disappointed by the lack of action between them and tried to spice up the gossip with wild, romantic fantasies._

 _After all, she's known Branch best, always the one reaching out to him. If he's had a crush on her long before their rescue mission, she'd known about it by now._

 _Right?_

* * *

 _Poetry? My invitations? She was stunned into silence as her friends continued to shout out the craziest things at her slumber party. So those rumors were true?_

 _Then he loved her for so long!_

 _And she hadn't even noticed!_

 _"That's it." She threw her pillow away and willed her pod into opening._

 _"What're you doing?" Suki asked her._

 _"Finally going to ask out your boyfriend?" Guy Diamond teased._

 _The answer she gave shocked her friends._

* * *

She knocked on his door.

 _Spend today together, get things done, then maybe have a little time at the end of the day. Ask him again tonight. He'll have to say yes eventually._ She took deep breaths. _Let's do this Popps!_

He was her rock, her support, and the only one she could imagine a future with.

* * *

He tried everything he could think of.

First he tried to change the color of his hair. The black tips stayed.

He tried a gradient color to disguise it; his usual blue but with deep indigo added as well. It worked absolutely perfect. But it reminded him of _Creek_ (the creep).

He found a knife and gave himself a haircut. His hair was now just slightly shorter and the black tips had sunken down to the new ends.

He had no color dyes except the wood stain that would definitely not be going anywhere near his scalp.

He could steal Satin and Chenile's fabric color sprays, but they might also be toxic and he would have to leave the cottage.

His last option was to scream at his reflection.

 _Think happy thoughts!_ He glared at the mirror image of his hair.

 _Dancing, musical numbers, poetry, Poppy's invitations, POPPY._

 _Lame, noisy, embarrassing, messy, and ANNOYING._

 _Stop thinking that way! Be HAPPY!_ He begged himself.

The black color spread just a little further.

 _Well screw you then!_ He silently screamed.

He jumped at the sound of knocking. He knew the sound of those knuckles.

He made no move, hoping he was hearing things. Pretending Poppy wasn't there, maybe.

"Branch, it's me!" She knocked again.

 _Crap, crap, crap, crap, crap!_ He cursed to himself.

"I know you're in there!"

"Wait just a moment Poppy!" He just thought of another idea. "I'll be there shortly!"

He brisked his way to his storage room. Poppy herself had given him a birthday present a few years ago, one he had no need of but kept to use in one of his decoy traps. Now it just sat on a shelf. _Thanks goodness I saved it._

"Branch, I don't have all day!" She exasperated, continuously knocking as to annoy him. It was her full proof get-Branch-out-of-hiding method.

The door finally opened after a minute. "About time! I know you're probably busy, but I really could use your help today. Do you mind lending a hand?" She asked, then she noticed his new appearance.

"Hey, didn't I give you that hat?"

"You sure did! Just trying a new look. You like?" He gave a toothy grin, leaning against the doorway, trying to look as smooth and confident as possible. He's always had a goofy smile, but Poppy felt like this one was somehow goofier, and weirder.

"Uhh, sure?" Now she knew the hat was so not Branch's style.

"Well, you rang and I'm here, Popps!" He exited his house, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. "What's on your agenda?"

 _He's unusually chipper._ The thought left her mind quickly as she went into full queen mode.

* * *

After the twelfth hug he accepted, Poppy finally decided to step in.

"I think that's enough hugs for you today, Branch." She patted him in comfort.

She assumed at first he was trying to get used to physical contact with strangers, for whatever reason, and let him to do as he pleased. But he looked ready to dig a hole and hide, so she decided to take some pity and stop him from torturing himself.

Despite her words, he wrapped himself around her arm, much like she had been doing to him lately.

"Yeah, I'll just stay right here now." He groaned in defeat.

She giggled. "I need my arm today, Grumpy."

"And I need it now, Popps." He mumbled.

She simply laughed as they continued on their way to Suki's pod.

They needed a break badly. While his presence gave her solace, she was disappointed to find he wasn't of much help as he usually would've been. She had to constantly probe him for information about yesterday's going ons, for one thing. Then a couple freaked out on them over the fact they couldn't find room for their new seed's pod anywhere near home. Despite having handled this situation before, Branch simply stood there with his weird grin, clearly trying not to lose his own cool.

She was even more downhearted over the fact he didn't trust her enough to tell her what was wrong.

But then again, she had no room to talk.

"Poppy, Branch, welcome! Come on in!" Chenille happily greeted them inside Suki's pod.

Satin, Guy Diamond, and Suki herself were seated on Suki's cushy millipede Longjaw, nursing hot drinks in their hands. Suki's other bugs crawled everywhere, both inside and out of the pod, noisily chirping. It was probably why most trolls preferred not to be her neighbor.

Poppy and Branch seated themselves on Longjaw as they were greeted by the group. Suki threw them tangerine wedges. They loosened up now that they were out of the public eye, biting messily into the fruit without care.

"How's the whole royal duty thing going?" Chenille tried to break the ice.

Poppy took a few seconds to collect her thoughts while Branch's eye twitch.

"Absolutely wonderful, right Branch?" Poppy tilted her head at him.

"Oh yeah, real peachy." The strange grin he tried to keep up grew wider. It was almost a grimace.

"...Right." Their friends glanced at one another. Poppy gulped.

"So how was yesterday, did you find Biggie?" Poppy tried to steer the subject away.

"Oh we sure did!" Satin smirked wickedly. "You're not going to believe what happened!"

As the twins went on a drawn out recount of yesterday's events, Poppy shifted a hand down her shoulder, rubbing the soreness. She felt Branch's hand not a moment too soon, and allowed him to take over. She wondered if it was a sort of apology for causing some of her stress, or he was simply being a nice boyfriend.

 _He doesn't seem to be fairing any better,_ she glanced over to him in concern. He seemed on edge all day, and yet did his best to mask whatever ate at him.

She hoped whatever it was didn't affect their relationship.

"And he tried to hide behind a picture frame, as if we didn't just see all those lipstick marks!" Satin snorted rather unladylike. "Boy, I never thought he had it in him! I can't believe you two tried to hide this away from us! It's gold!"

"Oh, that's great, Satin." Branch stated absentmindedly, not caring much for the idle chat. He did his best to shift his hat further downward.

Satin raised an eyebrow.

"Talkative today, aren't we?"

"Lovely."

"He's not even listening." She snickered.

"I'm sorry guys," Poppy moaned, "I don't think either of us are in our right mind at the moment." She got up to stretch. "Work was honestly killer." She left it at that, but side-eyed Branch.

The four friends gave each other another silent collective glance.

Satin and Chenille immediately jumped up. "Then lets relieve you of some of that _stress_!"

"C'mon, Poppy! Let's take a walk!"

Neither twin gave her a chance to resist, dragging her by the arms towards the exit.

"What? Guys, hold up!"

"Don't even struggle, we got just what you need!"

Chenille waved at the remaining three. "We'll be back! Save my drink, Suks!" She blew the darker pink troll a kiss. Suki made a gesture to capture the air kiss and pocket it.

Branch blinked as he was suddenly without Poppy around. He realized the trap too late as Suki and Guy Diamond moved to stand in front of him, ready to pounce.

"Well, look at the time!" He leapt to his feet. "I should really...see myself...out..." He gulped; he couldn't really find a way to get past them without harshly shoving someone aside.

The hat came off at the swipe of a hand.

His hair was dark enough that they didn't realize it for a split second, but unfortunately Guy Diamond was exactly the kind of troll to notice when something doesn't sparkle, and Suki could be equally observant when she wanted to.

"Oh my _glitter_!" Guy Diamond freaked, "Branch!"

"Don't tell her please!" He screamed.

"But, how? Why? The rest of you still have color!" Suki couldn't wrap her mind around it.

"I-I-I can't say!" He began to hyperventilate.

The bad feeling worsened and he heard their gasps of horror; that told him clearly it was getting worse.

"Branch, this is serious!" Suki glared at him. "You've both been acting weird, and it's high time you tell us what's up."

"And we can do this the easy way or the hard way." Guy Diamond warningly turned around and bent over, ready to let one out.

Branch spun to the doorway Poppy and the twins had exited not too long ago, only to find it covered in bugs. There was no escape.

He turned back to them. He could see they weren't going to let this slide.

"... _Please_ don't say anything to Poppy."

* * *

"So _please_ don't say anything to Branch." Poppy held up her pinkie, but neither of the girls took the oath.

"But Poppy!"

"That's pretty heavy stuff!"

"You gotta tell him!"

"I'm sure he'll understand!"

"NO!" Poppy screeched, making the twins flinch. "I don't want him to think differently of me. I care too much about him. This could hurt us both!"

The twins looked at her sadly. "But you're hurting now."

"I'm okay," Poppy took a deep breath, and made a complete turn around. "Today's just been particularly hard, I'll bounce back to my good ol' self!" She beamed at them, keeping her positive image afloat. Neither girl were so sure.

"Please?" She held up her pinkie once more time.

"For now." They reluctantly accepted. "If things get worse though..."

"It won't!" Poppy assured them. "I'll get over it, and whatever's bothering Branch, I'm sure he'll tell me in his time, and I'll help him through it as well!"

She hoped.

* * *

"This is dumb." Branch grumbled, but wrapped his pinkie around Guy Diamond's anyway, and did the same for Suki's.

"Just remember you can't keep this up forever; she has to know soon enough."

"Right." He reached for his hat, setting back atop his head.

"She's already suspicious, if you hadn't noticed," Suki added. "And she's clearly stressed about it. That's not good for either of you!"

"Just don't say anything right now. We'll work it out eventually."

"But when?"

He didn't have an answer.

* * *

The four trolls waved them goodbye as the couple parted away from the group, already hounded by several project managers and advisors.

"Alright," Suki began. "This is a friend emergency. Let's gather the rest of the Snack Pack and formulate a plan."

"Right!" They agreed.

"And let's hurry, before one of them boils over."

They rushed off and got down to business.

* * *

So if anyone is reading this, can I ask what you think of ChenilleXSuki? I've noticed it's quite popular on tumblr, and I think it's beyond adorable. It would be nice to add more hints here and there, and it won't force me to rewrite too much. I don't want to take away the focus from PoppyXBranch though, but I've already added a BiggieXOC on the side so I don't see any harm in one more couple.

"One Step At A Time" by Jordan Sparks


	7. Fine

First things first, I apologize that this will be a short chapter; I really wanted to have one today, but it takes so long for me to write in anyway that sounds sensible!

The good news is I'm off work both Tuesday and Wednesday, so the next chapter will for sure be coming a lot sooner, yay!

* * *

 _Is it too late to return to my old bunker?_ Branch mentally groaned as Poppy and a few trolls discussed...well, he hadn't been paying attention, but it was probably another small inconvenience.

He glanced at the pink troll holding his arm. Suki said Poppy was stressed out and not herself, but she seemed just as joyful, happy-go-lucky as ever. It was a puzzle to him.

 _She's not one to hide her emotions_ , he noted, _but then again the Snack Pack probably know her a lot better, hanging out with her all the time._

When the trolls around him begin to laugh, be faked one as well as to seem in on the joke. The laugher quickly died down and it became apparent they were disturbed by the throaty, bizarrely loud chuckle he gave. He abruptly ceased in embarrassment.

"Sooo," Poppy continued, "We'll take a note of that, and check on the tunnel sometime later. Thank you for bringing the issue up."

"Thank you, Queen Poppy, Mr. Branch!" The trolls waved them farewell as they made their way to their next destination, whatever it may be; he really hadn't been focused on today's agenda.

The walk was so unbearingly tense and stiff he wished the ground would open up and eat him whole.

He cleared his throat, catching the queen's attention.

"Poppy, I think we need to tal-"

"SING WITH ME BRANCH!" Poppy suddenly took her cowbell out and began a song sequence.

" **You know I love music, and everytime I hear something hot,** " she belted out.

"Really, Poppy?" He groaned.

" **It makes me wanna move, it makes me wanna have fun!** " She cheered happily as many other trolls joined in.

"I'm trying to speak with y-"

" **But it's something about this joint right here,** "

(This joint right here)

" **It's makes me wanna WOOOH!** " She screamed loudly. "Hey Branch were here! Let's get a move on!" She dragged him away from the singing crowd and towards a troupe of younger trolls and their teacher.

Branch gulped as he reluctantly let her take him towards the children; he forgot they had promised to help with _this_ lesson. _This is going to be humiliating._

"Hello kids!" Poppy excitedly greeted the class.

"Queen Poppy!" The young saplings returned just as excitedly, a few still accidentally calling her 'Princess.'

"And don't forget Branch!" Poppy gestured to her partner, who waved back sheepishly.

"Yay!" The young trolls were suddenly surrounding them, hugging him, crawling all over him.

 _This is fine, totally fine._ he stiffened as a small child managed to reach his hair, stretching out for his hat curiously; he immediately clutched the cap to ensure it stayed on his head. _Think happy thoughts,_ he cried despairingly in his mind.

"Settle down, my precious berries," The teacher calmly instructed, "Let the queen and Mr. Branch be so they can begin the lesson.

It took a few more minutes for the little trolls to obey their teacher and politely sit down, circling Poppy and Branch. Meanwhile, a couple that had been standing at a short distance had given their seed to Poppy and were watching with fondness as the queen presented it to the children.

"Today's lesson is about planting troll seeds," Poppy held out the seed gently to show it to her class, "Now does anyone remember how we make pods?"

Branch rolled his eyes as every single hand raised up and little voices filled the air. They've only been making them for three months.

"I know, I know!" One lavender troll jumped up and down excitedly. "You get a flower, and, and, and cover it in troll hair, and you cut your hair and cover it in sap, and, ummm, you plant it on the tree!" The kid babbled. The other trolls gave similar responses.

"That's correct! Good job, all of you, I'm so proud!" Poppy beamed at the smiling children's faces. "That's for a grown up troll's pod. When you have a seed, it's slightly different."

She cradled the seed lovingly as the teacher approached with a basket. "A baby's first pod starts out as a flower bud, usually a variety of lily. Branch can you grab the bud?"

Branch gulped as he was suddenly brought into the spotlight, and for _this_ of all things. He hesitantly reached into the basket the teacher held out and picked up the flower bud.

"And in order for the seed to sprout, you place it inside the bud." Poppy gently and slowly pulled the petals away, just enough to squeeze the seed inside. She averted her gaze from her companion, blushing just the slightest under her pink skin.

"Then you'll wrap the outer petals in troll hair, but you can't use sap since the bud still needs to grow and expand. Instead, we use nectar or honey since it doesn't harden, and the parents or caretaker will wrap more and more hair over time."

Branch was confused when he couldn't see any freshly cut hair lying around. He looked towards the couple, neither of whom made any movements, simply watching over them with excitement.

A sniping sound made Branch turn around back to Poppy, who had stretched her own hair out. The scissors she usually carried cut away at the ends, letting the strands fall to her feet.

He blanched when Poppy held out the scissors to him next, still averting her gaze. She hadn't _told_ him about this.

He could hear the parents squeal excitedly over the fact their seed's pod would have the queen's hair on it. And _his_.

 _My hair, and her hair, on the same pod, for a seed._ He blushed darkly at the suggestive thought, then he realized with horror: _MY HAIR!_

"Branch?" Poppy raised her eyebrow, concerned. The children, teacher, and parents stared at him, waiting.

"Uh, yeah, well," He snatched the scissors from her, "Just, uhh, give me a moment, I, um, needtousethelittletroll'sroomfirst!" He quickly finished. The children giggled at him.

"Yeah, I'll uh, take care of that, and you just, uhh, keep at it, I'll be back soon!" He nervously strolled away from the group, then made a sprint for it at the first turn of a leafy twig.

He stopped as soon as he felt he was far enough away from nearby trolls, and hidden enough by the foliage. Removing the cap, he stretched his hair out and made quick work to cut it off, doing a choppy job as he did. He placed the hat right back on top before picking up the bundle of hair from the floor. Stretching his hair out apparently stretched the ends as well; the coal color took up a quarter of the entire thing. With baited breath he sniped away the darker part, and was relieved that the blue hair remaining did not darken as well. However, he still had the black hair to deal with, and leaving it out in the open for someone to discover would be far too suspicious. He decided to roll it up in a ball to hide away in his blue hair for now.

He returned as Poppy finished applying her own hair to the pod's petals. He presented the blue hair he cut off to the group.

"Here you go, I figured I'd get this done while I had a mirror in front of me; I'm not that good at giving myself a haircut." He chuckled nervously, hoping they'd take the lame excuse.

"Thanks Branch. Now, do I have any volunteers who'd like to wrap it on the pod?" Several excited hands sprung up, eager to participate in the lesson.

* * *

Branch looked at the pod, planted just above their heads, as Poppy negotiated with a couple of trolls, trying to see who would be willing to move pods so the proud parents could live closer to their little one. The pod was a swirl of bright pink and dark blue, some of the strands even blending in to a royal purple. Eventually, the pod would get other colors on it, from the parents and other trolls the parents trust.

Nonetheless, there was still a slight chance the little one inside would bloom with their colors, and the very thought sent both a dreaded shiver down his spine and a warmth bursting in his chest.

Realizing just then he was feeling a lot more happier than earlier, he glanced around to make sure no one was watching. He removed the cap and folded his hair down to get a good look.

Only the tips were just barely darker now. He let out a sigh he'd been holding in all day. Not wanting to take even the slightest risk, he returned the hat to the top of his head. He joined Poppy amongst the small group of trolls, feeling so much better, yet still not as much as he wished he would.

* * *

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays!

"Just Fine" by Mary J. Blige


	8. Needs

Hi again!, another important note to make:

From now on, I'm gonna credit the songs at the very bottom.

Also, disclaimer: I don't own Trolls, duh.

Also at the bottom, some extra notes in case this chapter (or the story itself) seems confusing.

Anyways, enjoy!

* * *

The sun had long since set behind the gray and brown houses of Bergen town when they finally completed their seemingly never ending list of tasks, from inventory checking to job assignments, and everything in between. They had been running up and down the Troll tree all day, and it showed in their slumped shoulders and wavering feet.

 _So much for helping me out,_ she glanced at Branch as she yawned. _But at least we're done, and we can spend the rest of the evening together._ At the same time, she wanted nothing more than to just lay on the ground right now and fall into dreamland.

And when they reached the branch that led to her pod and he took her shoulder to guide her through the narrowing path, the temptation to run right into that bed grew strong.

 _No, stick to the plan,_ she clutched the hand on her shoulder, _I need to get this relationship moving, keep it strong._

"Branch," she faced him, "Let's go to the lake for a while, just the two of us."

"Now?" He half groaned, half yawned. "Popps, we're barely dragging our feet right now. Go to bed."

"C'mon, I need this." She wrapped herself around his waist, refusing to let go. She fought the urge to yawn, to deny the truth. "Pleeeease? You're going downstairs, anyway."

Not wanting to start an argument right now, he nodded, slowly. "Alright, but don't blame me if we fall asleep outside."

With that, they lazily headed below.

* * *

"Every freckle, sparkling like the stars beyond," He whispered in her ear, grazing her soft cheek lovingly with tender fingers, "I could kiss each one, and never tire of them."

"Mmmhmm." She responded, slightly dozing on his shoulders.

"Hey," he chuckled, "Stop dozing off when I'm trying to be romantic."

"Mmkay, mkay." She whined as she lifted her head up, opening her eyes halfway.

He's never seen her so tired; she was always a bundle of energy that kept on going. _Maybe today was just too much for her._ He yawned.

They cuddled at the edge of the lake, the warmth of their embrace comforting in the slight chill of the night. The chirping of crickets echoed around, the only other sound to accompany them.

"Maybe," she yawned, "maybe we should stand up, or we will fall asleep right now."

"Yeah." He nodded, ignoring his sore muscles as he rose up. He helped her along her feet, although she immediately leaned her entire body onto him, arms around his neck.

"Popps, I'm not carrying you." Branch grunted as he tried to push her away..

"What a romantic thing to say." She giggled sleepily.

"Im serious, Poops." he mumbled drowsily, shifting his feet before they fell over, "Get up, lazybug."

With one last defiant yawn, she propped herself up, but didn't let go of his neck, instead swaying back and forth in a sort of slow dance.

" **Baby, I'm so into you, you got that something, what can I do,** " she sang slowly, " **Baby, you spin me around,** " She tried to make a spin, nearly toppling them both over. " **The earth is moving, but I can't feel the ground.** "

"Okay," He laughed, a little more awake, "Time for bed, before you send us both to the lake."

He guided her back towards the tree, as she continued to serenade him in a drugged-like state.

" **Everytime you look at me, my heart is jumping, it's easy to see.** " She partially mumbled the words, almost incoherently. " **Loving you means so much more,** "

" **More than anything I ever felt before.** " Several voices whispered in the distance, causing Branch to whip his head around, puzzled. _Am I hallucinating?_

His distraction gave Poppy to opportunity to jump on him. He fell on his back with a grunt as she giggled softly like it was some sort of joke.

"Mmmm, can I stay here?" She snuggled into his neck.

"No Popps, get up." He rolled around on the ground until he was on top, and brought them both back up.

She continued to sing while leaving him to drag her towards the tree. Branch looked around suspiciously for where the voices from earlier came from, but in his current state it was hard to focus on anything more than what was right beside him.

When they reached the stairway, she stopped her singing long enough to ask again: "Can I stay here?"

"It's not good to stay outside, Poppy," he explained, "we'll get there, I'll carry you if I have to." Though his aching body seemed repulsed with the mere thought of it.

"No dummy," She giggled, "lemme stay with you tonight."

 _We can't!_ He almost instinctively replied, but he thought it over. _We're pretty tired, and maybe_ , he pulled the hat down further, _she won't notice, or try anything. She's out of it._

He _really_ didn't want to go up those stairs.

* * *

"You need a softer bed." Despite her complaint, Poppy plopped into the cot and hugged his large pillow like it was the greatest thing in the world. She still wore her dress, with nothing else to change to, but at least freshened up and cleaned her hair. Her crown and hair tie rested on the box he had been using as a nightstand.

"I'm still working on the house, Popps." He defensively replied.

He exited the bathroom, wearing only his shorts, taking deep breaths to calm the nerves. He kept the towel in his hair, ruffling it as if he was still trying to dry it off.

He stopped short of the bed, watching cautiously for a moment. Only when it seemed that her breathing slowed down did he sat down next to her. He turned the light off his lamp before removing the towel.

But once he had finally settled into the sheets she shifted closer and wrapped an arm around his stomach, trapping him right there.

"Braaaaanch," She sweetly whispered in his ear, before nuzzling his collarbone. "Babe, I gotta tell ya something." Her tone was teasing, like she was about to tell him a secret.

"Goodnight, Popps." He whispered back firmly, grabbing for the now free pillow, propping it up so that he could rest his head on the right half.

"I gotta tell ya." Poppy insisted, as she enveloped him even more in her embrace, "I need you babe, you gotta marry me."

When he didn't answer, she fell right into a slumber. He stared at the dirt ceiling for over an hour before falling asleep as well, feeling worse again.

* * *

Once again, she sat right up in the middle of the night. She could still hear the words play in her head, clear as day. The dream itself would be hazy and nearly forgotten after a few minutes, but even many hours later she can never forget what had been said.

 _I don't love you anymore._

For the third night in a row, she reached out in the darkness desperately, knowing there would be no comfort.

To her surprise, she found warm skin instead of cold sheets, followed with even breathing.

This time, she was able to fall back asleep.

* * *

When Poppy woke up again, she felt better than ever. She yawned, stretching out, before noting her surroundings; browns, greens, worn out clutter, instead of her pink and purple room. _Branch_.

But he was nowhere to be found. Instead, a piece of folded up paper sat next to her crown on the nightstand. She opened up the pretty card stock to read the fancy script inside.

 _I'll be back with breakfast._

 _Love, Grumpy-shorts_

He even scribbled a heart in place of the "o" of his little nickname. _My dork_ , she giggled.

Glancing at his old wall clock, she realized it was way too early for anyone to come looking for her, so she dozed right back for a much needed nap. Who knows if she'll have another good nights sleep soon.

* * *

"Thank you so much, Bridget."

"Anytime," the bergen girl smiled, letting her friend jump out of her hand into the roots of the Troll tree.

The smile faded. "But this seems pretty serious, are you sure everything's alright?"

"Don't worry, I have it under control," Branch lied, "My hair will be back to normal soon. Anyways, thanks for the dye. I'll see you around!"

"Remember to wear gloves when you apply it again!"

Bridget waved back as she made her way back up to the castle. Branch hid the jar of dark liquid in his hair, now completely blue again, thankful that the bergens were now so color-obsessed, yet didn't have the same color-changing ability as the trolls. His hair tips weren't the exact same shade of blue, but it worked.

Now if only he didn't wake up so miserable.

Branch juggled the nuts and berries on one hand while unlocking his door. Poppy was still in bed; she had about an hour before the first troll would come knocking at her pod, and he rather she be up and ready by then. He set their breakfast by his messy table and headed over to her, shaking her gently.

"Hey wake up."

"Mnmhmp." She stirred, fluttering her eyes open. She greeted him with the warmest smile that made his heart skip a beat. "Morning," she hopped out of bed, ready to start the day.

"Morning, breakfast is at the table." He led her over to a chair, before heading over to his bathroom to grab a brush.

"Yummy, pickled roots." Poppy joked as she reached for a plump berry.

As she ate, Branch wordlessly brushed her hair from behind. He combed his own hand through it as well, adoring the soft strands; it prompted a chuckle from her.

"Thanks for letting me stay last night."

"Yeah, no problem, Poppy." He grunted.

"Really, it helped me a lot." She munched on a walnut, "I'd love to do it again sometime."

He said nothing, focused on her hair, brushing the same area over twenty times.

That is until she tilted her head a bit. "Stand still, Poppy."

"You'd tell me how you're feeling, right?"

The strokes in her hair stopped for a few seconds, before continuing.

"Of course." He forced a small smile that didn't reach his eyes.

"You look a little down."

 _Sorry I'm not a ray of sunshine_ , he bit back the words, instead replied with a shrug. "I guess I am." He left it at that; at least it wasn't a lie.

 _No sarcasm, no retorts, no deadpan look_ , She noted.

So she turned around to beam brightly at him, "Well you'll be happy to know today should be easier since we got a lot done yesterday, so I can handle it on my own while you finish up this place."

He seemed to relax, as if a weight was lifted off his shoulders. "Glad to hear that." He nodded. This time the smile was clearly genuine.

 _If only I could feel the same_ , she brushed aside the lingering thought.

"Hey, if I have time after, I'll drop by."

"Sounds good to me, now stop moving so I can finish up your hair."

"Okay!" She finished up her breakfast, letting Branch take care of her.

And when it was time to leave, she gave him a full on kiss on the mouth that he only half heartedly returned.

Poppy skipped her way up, already hearing music fill the air above.

She couldn't help but wonder what happened to the Branch from last night, but she quickly removed that thought from existence as she lunged for her first hug of the day at an approaching red troll.

He stared at her back as she left, his ear twitched at the quiet sound from behind him.

" **And when you smile, the whole world stops and stares for a while, 'cause you're amazing, just the way you are.** "

"What are you two doing?" He raised his eyebrows at Guy Diamond and Biggie, hiding behind a gnarly root with little success.

"Nothing!"

"We're not here!"

"Just singing, like all trolls do."

"You don't see us!"

They sprinted away, just like that.

"Ooookay." He shook his head, returning back inside.

" **Her lips, her lips, I could kiss them all day-** "

He slammed the door wide open, glaring, but the voices ceased and ran off once more.

* * *

Huh, what are they doing, I wonder :P

So in case some people are wondering what the hell am I writing, I might as well say it here; there's miscommunication, and it involves, guilt, fear, doubt, and insecurities on their part. Who and what, I'm sure y'all can guess it out. Or wait for the next chapter. I do my best to play around with the personalities they had in the movie, and what I think would change post-movie:

For Poppy, she wants to believe in the positive side even when bad things happen. And while she learned the world isn't cupcakes and rainbows, it's still a core part of her (and everything turned out okay anyway, so lesson not learned?) It'll make more sense in the next chap, promise. The True Colors scene plays a part in her conflict as well.

For Branch, he's paranoid and negative, and just because he finally became happy, it's again a core part of his personality, something he had for 20 years and isn't just going to go away. In that same timespan, he also had forced down his true feelings (sadness and guilt, love for Poppy) with anger and dislike, because he believed it was for the better; pushing away others meant not hurting them. This time though, he's learned to feel happiness again, but struggles to keep it, and now that other people are actively involved in his life, feels the need to keep it.

And as a whole, the two are starting a relationship neither are experienced in, and they're pretty much opposites in personalities (yet so alike, in their stubbornness and concern for others, etc). Relationships take work, yet sometimes one person has one idea of how it needs to work, and the other person has a different point of view, and if there's miscommunication, it can make the relationship fall apart.

"Crazy" by Britney Spears.

"Just The Way You Are" by Bruno Mars


End file.
